I am an Elf
by Arasa17
Summary: "My name is Legolas. I will not forget. I am an elf of the Woodland Realm, and I will find my way home." It was scrawled across his arm in blank ink. It was all he had left.
1. Chapter 1

It was a cold day in October. The forecast was warm and sunny that afternoon, a rare sixty-seven degrees Fahrenheit…

It was too good to be true.

Icy sheets of rain poured from the pale gray sky. It streamed from the dark windows and careened down the gutters, freezing in the streets where squealing tires didn't touch. Sleet spattered the sidewalks and clung to streetlights where they hung suspended over the wet tarvy. It dripped from the overpass and melted in the roaring traffic, shot from the flying windshield wipers in sprays.

For two tires less than four, the freezing asphalt was perilous. It was a 2013 Toyota sports bike, an older model, already filthy and wet. Ice clung to the exhaust, making the quiet roar a sputter. True, trusting the radio forecast was a mistake…But a chance to get out one last time before winter? It was impossible to resist.

Now she struggled for control, easing the throttle to a tentative forty…forty-five… fifty. Traffic waited for no one. It was a constant hum, a never ending thrum of engines that meant the people of Minneapolis were busy, going home. Even in the rain, downtown rush hour was a stream of moving feet and voices. The city was a mass of lifeforms living together and alone. The periodic horn meant they were impatient and angry, frustrated at the cold and the rain. It upset their schedule. It slowed them down. If one thing was unforgivable in the city, it was going forty in a fifty mile-an-hour zone.

Not only that, but more dangerous than the ice.

So she dove from side to side, lane to lane, signaling sometimes, sometimes not, dodging pools and freezing spots. The rain streaked down her helmet and soaked her jeans, slipped down the zipped leather jacket and shattered in steaming gusts off the exhaust. It was Kristy Anderson.

Suddenly, a squad of police cars screamed past, and from behind a rain streaked visor, she glanced up. They flashed and squealed, red on blue and she grimaced. What, more?

The city was on high alert already, said the news bulletins. They were looking for something…for someone. An escaped convict maybe, a criminal. State patrol were on every block. The newscasters had an absolute hay day. Supposedly, it was all thanks to some powerful 'electric storm', they called it, just a few hours north. Power lines outside the cities were down. Houses were destroyed. Maybe whoever it was escaped in the chaos… Who knew?

For the last two days, army trucks drove north and they manned road blocks at all exits and highways leading out of the city, downtown, and to the suburbs, demanding identification. What happened in this 'storm' everyone was talking about? Were they in danger from this something, or maybe a someone?

Kristy didn't know. Frankly, she didn't care.

The police needed something to keep them busy. She kept _herself_ busy by taking every alley, underpass, and freeway unguarded to keep from stopping. On these roads, it was too hard to halt, find her driver's license, and start up again without tipping the bike. Especially not for something so silly as a roadblock. She was already on the final stretch home…

And suddenly, the phone buzzed against her leg.

Kristy struggled not to slip out in surprise; the car behind her was edging so close she could see the swinging beanie babies in the back mirror. And then her phone bleeped dismally and cut out. Kristy cursed. It was the last of its battery life!

The exit was coming up fast and she swerved onto the off ramp. It led into the city. Buildings scratched at the sky and she turned onto a two-lane backstreet, leaving most of them behind. Work ended early today; it was three o'clock. In a couple hours, dark would fall and she didn't like riding at night. Ahead in the distance was a towering collage of apartment complexes, brick, steel and glass all gray in the cloudy light. That was home.

And then she saw him.

Instantly, she hit the breaks and the speedometer shot from fifty to twenty. There was a man in the road. There wasn't time!

He didn't move. A pick-up roared past, horn blaring, and he staggered back, dizzy. _Move!_ Why didn't he move? He just stood there, hands at his sides, head thrown back and staring into the rain. Water streamed from his chin and…

In the midst of the busy streets, a man looked from side to side, not at…but through. His eyes were empty and full. They saw trees of steel and glass. They climbed over his head like great, clawing giants. They were monsters. They were ugly and ominous. They blocked the sky from his searching eyes.

He saw people, faces and eyes in machines that roared, honked, screeched, squealed. They shouted at him, things he couldn't understand. He'd wandered…wandered so long. Time, night, day meant nothing. He couldn't remember. They blurred and vanished. Cold flashes shivered through his body and left him huddled against a freezing wall. Flashes of hot, fevered agony left him dizzy and made him disoriented, confused. He could not understand. He could not remember. There was only…this.

He lifted his eyes, staring into freezing rain. He was so cold his fingers were numb. He was hungry and wet; he drank the rain for his thirst.

Why was this happening?

Was there no one to answer him, talk to him in a tongue he knew? No one to take him and tell him who he was, where he was, what came of him? Or maybe this was his life, wandering…sick, muttled. Maybe this was the world: people who did not know, did not try. People who didn't understand him and didn't care to. People who walked in droves, moved in growling beasts of steel.

 _Why was this happening?_ He staggered off a curb and stopped, tilting his head back in the falling rain. It ran through his hair and streamed down his face, chilled him to the core. Was he punished for some misdeed in a past life? He didn't know… He didn't remember.

And suddenly, the blare of a horn shook his dizzy reverie.

"Get off the road, you idiot!" Someone shouted, a man.

He backed away, confused. What was this language? Why could he not just focus, make himself understand, make himself see? But the syllables made no sense. Bits and pieces seemed to form words, but even these garbled together in his fuzzy ears. He couldn't see or even think…

And then, the world spun out.

He turned his head instantly, just long enough to look through a wet shield of glass and into a black, helmeted face. But it was too late. He didn't move. He didn't want to.

A screech shuddered through the black tires and marked the pavement, trying to stop, swerve around him. But there was ice and she slammed into him. The handlebar clipped his side so hard he flew back with a grunt of pain and surprise. Cement hit the back of his head and he gasped, stunned. Suddenly, the crash of steel on pavement flipped into a blur, and he pushed himself over, staring as the bike skidded to a stop and the person atop it was thrown to the ground.

Kristy's head cracked against the pavement and a _snap_ broke from her helmet. She tumbled to a stop.

"Oh God…" came a gasp.

He didn't understand.

The man just watched, dazed, clenching his fists in the cold.

An instant passed, and Kristy screwed her eyes shut tight, expecting agonizing pain to shoot up her spine. She waited for the sound of snapping bones or the wet, warm feeling of blood to seep through her clothes. The only wet that came was the splash of dirty water shooting from the gutter as a car swerved and stomped on the gas, before flying away. She was crumpled face down. The traffic avoided her legs in the street until she crawled to the curb.

"Oh, God…I'm dead." She grunted, fogging the inside of her cracked visor, before grimacing, pulling the strap loose. She yanked the helmet off and hair tumbled into her face, gasping air.

Alive!

She looked up and then, panting, she froze. "My God…" _The man._ Kristy whipped her head around, "Oh. Oh, no."

He was down, boots in the streaming gutter. Water gushed over him and he stared at something blankly, shivering, gasping. She scrambled over as fast as she could on shaking limbs. Kristy wasn't hurt…She couldn't believe it, but she could feel it. She was alive!

"Are you all right?!" Kristy rasped, before pushing wet hair out of her face to see better. "Sir! Are you all right? I'm s-so sorry! I didn't see you. I-I…" and she trailed off, panting.

The man was on his arm now, coughing, pulling himself stumbling onto the sidewalk. She touched his back, offering useless support. His boots slipped out and he collapsed, still coughing. Long, wet blonde hair spilled down his shoulders. Keen blue eyes, foggy and gray in the light, peered past her and down the busy street, as if searching for something, anything, desperately. His mouth was clamped in a stony white line…shivering. She'd never seen anyone like him. He was…he was different.

"S-sir? Are you hurt?" Kristy asked softer, touching his shoulder. "Do I need to call the police?"

He looked at her then. He must move…walk, find where he needed to go, who he needed to talk to. But still he paused. The human was still here. She wasn't shouting at him, or pushing past. She was leaning close, touching his arm, asking…something.

 _Why couldn't he think?_ Why couldn't he just see her face? It was blurry, like a foggy window. All he could hear was the distant roar of vehicles and the windy rain, the pain in his chest.

"Please! Just tell me if you're _hurt_!" She pleaded, shaking miserably. She was realizing just how close she came to the accident, a real accident. How she could have dragged down the street with her bike, slammed into the telephone pole, twisted and snapped instead of jumping free. It left her shaking and tears streamed down her face.

"My phone's dead, but I-I can call an ambulance…or something. I can-I can call the police. Please tell me what to do!"

She crouched on the wet pavement, and glances threw their way from the couple across the street. Traffic went on as before. Life was too busy to stop. The two were up and talking... Obviously they were fine. Obviously they didn't need the help of a stranger, the man taking his dog home, the woman late for a business meeting. They scurried on as they had before.

"They're g-going to ask for identification and-and social security number, and insurance cards. Do you have them?" she dug around in her own pockets, coming up with a billfold. These things tumbled through her head and she forced herself to focus.

The police were supposed to be informed of all accidents…no matter how minor. She knew that. But her phone was dead! And the police were so hyped on this 'storm' thing. Should she ask someone to call _for_ her? Kristy struggled to show her billfold to the man, pointing at it, and he just pushed away. He slipped once, but he made it. She didn't know if it was from the pavement or violent coughs, but one of his hands were bloody.

Kristy reached out and scrambled after him; he didn't need her. He was against a street sign, supporting himself. _Oh, what am I supposed to do now_? Kristy thought desperately. He doesn't _understand._ The man just stood there, hunched, gripping his bleeding fists.

"Come on. Listen to me." She shook her head, standing before him. "Can you walk? Can you get home?"

And then, grimacing in the cold and the rain, he looked at her. His face was white in the rapidly fading light. His eyes were like stormy gray pools. They left her breathless…Why did he look at her like that?

"H-here…" she struggled with her zipper, before pulling her jacket off and wrapping it around his arms. It was more than a little too small for his broad shoulders, but it would have to do. "You look cold. Oh, what am I talking about? _I'm_ cold." She shook her head vigorously in the sleet, shivering. "It's freezing out here. I can w-wave down a taxi for you though, at least. Just tell me where you want to go… a home address? A friend? Anything!"

He just looked at her.

"Oh, I know this is a mistake. But um, okay…" she whispered, thinking fast and trying not to panic. It was like holding your hands out to stop a speeding train. "I'm going to let you come to my apartment building. I'll quick get my home phone and call the police from there…or someone. All right?"

A gust of rain shivered through her thin sweater and she stood, shivering and waiting. He didn't answer. Water streamed from his chin, and she shifted to look up at him. The man focused on something near her…but there was something deep, something ageless in the shadowed gaze. He was lost, or confused. Afraid. He couldn't concentrate. Dusk was falling and he was shaking.

"Kwentra amin mani yamen' sina…" he whispered faintly, and Kristy hissed through her teeth in surprise.

"…what?"

The man reached up and then, shuddering in exhaustion, his fingers touched her face. He wanted to touch something, hold onto something. He wanted to ask so many things, but his mouth couldn't form the words. It didn't matter. No one understood.

"All right…Come on," Kristy said softly, before carefully, she took his hand from her face and folded it in her fingers. She pointed with her chin. "I-I have to get my bike up. Then it's a few blocks to my apartment, and I'll call someone from there. Kay? You gonna be all right?"

He didn't answer again, but shivering in the bitter rain, he squeezed her hand tighter. It was something to grip onto, and in the rain everything else was blurry. It was getting worse… He felt black hovering at the edges, like a monster just waiting to pounce. He coughed and it did no good. He could barely breathe in the cold.

Kristy's bike idled away on the side. It was braced on the curb, and so with the center weight helping her, she managed to heave it upright.

"Oh, my paint." she whimpered, wiping her face. The perfect blue was no longer perfect…far from it. It didn't matter. She was alive. This-this _man_ was alive.

So they walked it down the road's shoulder until the street passed glass doors of a great, brick building climbing high into the clouds. The 'man' leaned on her bike for support, keeping his hand on hers as she pushed. It was a queer feeling, the stranger's touch. His skin was bitterly cold, yet he didn't let her hand away for more than an instant at a time. It was like he had nothing else to keep.

"Around here." Kristy flinched in a sharp gust of wind and they turned down the asphalt driveway, which eventually led down in a parking lot built under the apartments. Most were made this way; it saved precious space in the city.

At the entrance, the man stumbled on the cracked yellow speed bump like he didn't know it was there. He looked around in wonder. They were sheltered in the garage now, and they walked down the rows of cars, dark except the dimly burning bulbs strung in rows across the ceiling.

Weakness washed over him and his limbs felt like lead weights. He wasn't thinking. All he could concentrate on was how far it would be until he found something that made sense, something to latch onto, how long until he could collapse. For a reason he couldn't fathom, this…woman was still with him. She wasn't speeding off; she wasn't pushing past him. He didn't want that to change.

"Come on." Kristy pushed the kickstand down, before beckoning. "This way."

To her mild surprise…or not, his eyes wandering wildly, he caught her hand on the way down and wouldn't let go. Past the main doors in the entry, a desk and chairs sat against the wall. Lines of metal grated mailboxes covered that, and Kristy pulled him into the elevator. It wasn't like he'd let go, even if she tried to leave him behind. So, she headed for her apartment.

"I probably shouldn't be doing this, you know." Kristy muttered to him, punching the button for the twenty-fifth floor. It was the second to the top. "You could be…" She sighed, trailing off. Why bother? He didn't understand.

He could be a stalker, a professional who did this for a living. He could get unsuspecting women into accidents to get their address, or case the place. He could rob them blind. Worse. Who knew?

As the elevator jolted into the climb and rose slowly, the man grabbed the wall in surprise, eyes wide. She ignored it, wondering _why didn't she listen to herself?_ Why didn't she leave this strange man on a street corner? Or better yet, dump him on the police station's doorstep, a homeless shelter?

But she didn't. She just stood against the wall, feeling her fingers clasped in the man's hand slowly warm. Kristy took the time to look at him, really look at him.

His skin was flawless and white. Dark, angular brows framed his eyes and he was tall, tall and lean. But he was hunched and shivering, using the wall like a lifeline. He could barely stay upright. There was something pitiable in the way his eyes flinched at the movement of the elevator, the dim light. Even his clothes were…strange. Leather boots reached his knees and a belt buckled around his waist and shoulder. Perfect green thread stitched the forest green of his tunic. He had her coat around his arms, and he stood rigid, legs apart.

How were they moving? He didn't have time to reason it out.

The doors slid open and the woman tugged him out into the hall. A door she stopped at had numbers…number 99. He watched her dig in her pockets, fingers shaking. He felt her tug on the hand that he wouldn't let go, but an instinct buried deep wouldn't let him release her.

She wanted to help him. He needed that help.

"Here we are." She said as she closed the door behind him, and only when he realized these were her living quarters, did he reluctantly let her fingers slip out of his.

His eyes were fuzzy and his knees shuddered. He was coughing a dry, painful cough. But he found a deep leather couch along the opposite wall. There were heavy drapes across the windows, blocking out most of the cloudy light. It didn't matter. He was inside, warming a little, and for some reason…shutting down. He didn't stop before, because he _couldn't_ stop. If he stopped it would be the end.

Now he could.

Kristy plugged her phone in on the kitchen countertop, before calling. "Do you at least have a number I can call?"

She strode out again, thinking of a way to motion 'phone number' with her hands…before freezing. Suddenly, all the strength went out of her and she felt like falling to her knees.

"Oh, no..."

He didn't just do that. No. Things like this just didn't happen! Kris stared, absolutely stunned: in the semi-dark, there was a rapidly-becoming-familiar body on her couch. The man was face down in the pillows, absolutely still, collapsed.

"…seriously?" she breathed, running a hand through her wet hair. His boots were only half on, like he hadn't even made it to the sofa before passing out. One hand was thrown over the cushions and the other behind his neck, cradling his head.

She exhaled slowly, looking at him, before tentatively walking closer. Kristy touched his face first…stony cold, yet flushed hot. Fever. Her fingers traced his hand, fiddled with his sleeve, thinking hard. Then, she poked him in the arm.

"Are you faking?" Kristy whispered, hoping he would answer if he was. _Why me?_ And _what_ exactly was she supposed to do with him? "What am I going to do with you…?" she sighed, dropping her hands in her lap.

And then, she blinked. His hand, curled in a loose fist on the carpet had something written across his fingers. Kristy carefully picked it up, unfolding his hand. In smudged, black ink a word was scrawled across his palm. _Le…_ she focused, tilting his hand into the light. _Legolas._

She squinted, thinking a moment, before sitting back on her heels. _What in Helsinki was a Legolas?_ And then, she realized more of the black ink ran up his arm. The woman pushed his sleeve up, barely registering the rapid pounding of her heartbeat.

But she couldn't read it. It was scrawled in a strange, swirling script. And it was smudged in the rain, obviously not English… Suddenly, she blinked and snapped her head up. The man, whoever he was, was shivering so violently Kris could see it. The moisture on his face was no longer rain, but a cold sweat. He was convulsing, clinging to the cool leather cushion. Coughing. He couldn't breathe.

 _Doctor Reiner…_

He lived two floors down! He could help her. Maybe he could tell her where this man came from, or what a 'Legolas' was. Maybe he would know what to do… God, maybe he could help.

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Translations:

 _Kwentra amin mani yamen' sina…_ Tell me what place this is.

 **A/N: So… Love? Loathe? I know** _ **Middle-Earth collides with Earth**_ **isn't really an unsung saga, but I guess we all have a little 'too bad fantasy and the real world don't mix' in us, right? I wrote this recovering from the nasty clutches of a head cold, and it's a story I've wanted to write for a long time. So I'm going to write! I hope you like reading.**

 **The language gap here is because in Legolas's time, ours has not been invented. He can speak Elvish (Sindarin or Quenya) and Westron, but English is new to him. So hit the review button and tell me what you think so far! I'd love to hear it. :))**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but I've been having terrible trouble with life, mainly…internet. I've been writing though, so here's the next installment. Hope you enjoy. :)**

. . . .

 _Dark…pain…_

Legolas flinched, panting in a cold sweat. He tore at the blankets around his body until he was free, and his fight was with himself. He couldn't escape! Voices in a thick, twisted murmur filled his head.

 _Flaming hot and bitter cold._ It was fever and fear.

Legolas couldn't understand. He heard whispers and felt touches that he couldn't fight, echoes of reality. Legolas tossed and twisted in vain agony, trying to breathe. He tried to cough; his mouth was on fire. Legolas wanted to scratch his throat out for the pain. The pain! It never stopped. The sheets were wet with sweat and he strained for air. The sky was falling and crushing him, suffocating him slowly. It felt like someone strangled him; the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth.

Legolas fought back fiercely. It never stopped. It never ended. Chills wracked his body and someone warm engulfed him in blankets…But then he was on fire again and he kicked them off. It never stopped. They tried to force bittersweet medicine down his throat, but it screamed like fire and he spat it out, coughing up blood.

Then…in the midst of darkness….it began to lift.

His breaths were ragged, but they came easier. Legolas panted, chest heaving, and he sucked in clear air. There was the voice of a man, as he sank into unconsciousness and clawed his way out again. When this man came, the pain in his chest and his limbs eased. His hands were rough and calloused, experienced. They were the hands of a healer.

Darkness was his world. Feelings and nothing but his own thoughts were there to help him when he fell into black; he tried desperately to stay awake. The dark was terrifying and loathsome.

And then there was the woman.

Her voice was quieter…her touches were careful and subdued. She was afraid of hurting him. But with her came soothing coolness. She touched wet, cold rags to his face…down his neck, his chest. She rubbed his body through velvety blankets when he shivered.

And then…when the agony and fire slowly lifted from him, he realized so did the healer. The visits grew less and less often. It took longer for his throat to heal, but he could swallow now. He could bear to breathe... The woman stayed, talking to him in that quiet murmur. In a glimpse of awareness, Legolas tried to reach up once, to touch her hand as it stroked his face. But his arms were numb like dead weights. He couldn't move, so severe was his exhaustion.

He could only sleep…and breathe…and slip into the vast darkness of night that never stopped.

Kristy sighed, holding her arms and looking at the man, the 'Legolas', on her couch. It was a roll-away; a pile of cushions in the closet and the back of the couch was his headboard. Somehow, it made her feel more comfortable this way. There were only two locked doors in the apartment: her bedroom and the bathroom. Kristy kept a 30,000-volt Taser on her bureau, just in case, and in the kitchen counter...just in case.

Yes, the man was sick and exhausted. But who knew who he was? No one, it seemed.

It was seven days since she ran into him. Doctor Reiner just left from his last house call. Kristy used the first few vacation days to take care of him; Reiner said he needed someone there with him constantly. She used her lunchbreaks to watch over him from then. Kristy didn't know why she did it, but she did.

She sat on her knees in a leather lazy-boy, a cheese sandwich crunched nervously in her hands. Legolas was unconscious most of the time; either that or delirious. He slept hard nothing could stir him.

But now he shifted. Instead of deep, slow breaths, he took short quick ones. He was restless. Kristy noticed it and it sent her heart racing. He was healing quickly… and she was alone. She'd barely even spoken to anyone: family, friends, anyone for a week now and she wondered if she was deadly wrong on this.

And then his eyes fluttered.

Kristy stared.

Somehow she hadn't prepared herself for this: actually waking up. It was ridiculous. Mr. Reiner was the finest old doctor in the state. He knew what he was doing! He said Legolas would be fine, with rest and care. It was stupid to think this was coming too soon.

He accepted water from her for days now, flitting his eyes open and closed in a haze… He was healing. He didn't pant and thrash, call things that made no sense. He didn't tear at the sheets and shout obscenities in a strange tongue. He was quiet. The man slept deeply.

It was time.

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 _Black_.

It was the first thing Legolas felt. It wasn't a cold black, but a warm, fathomlessly deep one. He became...aware.

Legolas cracked his eyes open. A bleary haze of colors and semi-darkness filled the slit. There was wind outside, a dull hum above his head. The sound was strange and he listened to it, feeling warm air currents brush his face. It seemed to tingle on his skin, heat and comfort.

Legolas opened his eyes fully, shifting in the warm pillows and sheets enveloping him. It was a smooth, silky sensation… _exquisite._

Or not. His head felt like the pounding of a thousand drums, and his body was a useless pool of warm milk. Disgusting.

Where was he? What _happened?_ He stared blankly at the bright glow shining from the windows... And slowly, a sinking feeling hit the pit of his stomach.

 _By the spirits…_ He was dead. 

The pain was gone. The chaos, fire, and fear were sapped away in a hollow, empty void. He was somewhere he'd never been. Legolas couldn't tell why or how, but even the air he breathed felt foreign.

"He _lives_!"

Legolas blinked in surprise, fully awake now. There, sitting frozen like an ice statue, was a female.

"Oh…um, I mean you're awake."

At least he thought it was. It was hard to tell, the way his vision blurred and fuzzed. But the voice was unmistakable. Some part of him had listened to it for...he wasn't sure how long: days, weeks, hours.

"Hello." She said, and he glanced up.

 _Hello?_ Was that her name? Was it his, or the name of this place? Or was this some kind of greeting he was expected to respond to?

Somehow, he barely managed to swallow, much less provide a greeting. Obviously, he concluded, this was not the undying lands of trees and happy hunting he'd always learned the forefathers departed to upon death. And then he thought about it… _Where did he hear such a thing?_

"How do you feel?" Kristy asked more subdued.

The words sounded garbled. Legolas didn't understand. Where was he? What happened? He grimaced and glanced down, realizing he was swathed in cool sheets and shirtless in the midst of a… living room?

His mind was an empty slate. Images and random things came to him: wandering, empty and cold. Sick. Legolas remembered screeching blurs of metal and towering masses, feeling confused and desperate. _Then the woman..._ It was faint, distant like a dream, but definite. She came before the black fell.

"You," he rasped, wincing at his voice. It was croaky and pained. He remembered her, her hand…strange hallways. "I remember you."

"Um, I'm sorry. I don't understand." Kristy said, before carefully feeling his forehead with a cool palm. Legolas froze under her hand, staring, before she reached out and slipped some kind of thin, silver rod from the tableside. She held it in front of his mouth.

"What-" he mumbled, eyeing the thing blankly. "What has happened to me?"

Kristy stared. Then, she tapped the rod in her hand pointedly.

 _Why didn't she answer?_ Legolas gazed at her in a steely, frozen way.

"Come on." Kristy sighed, before reaching out and tapping on his jaw, asking him to open. "Your temperature please? Reiner can't come up until morning! Your fever only broke yesterday. So...um, are you going to cooperate or not?"

It was impossible due to waves of exhaustion seeping through his limbs, making it hard even to move, but he managed to inch away. He wasn't sure if he liked this woman touching him after all.

"Oh all right." Kristy moved the sheet and placed the thing between his arm and his side. Legolas shivered. "I know." she smiled, getting up. "…cold."

And Legolas coughed...hard.

The girl was half-dressed! Some kind of flimsy sleep shift wrapped around her waist, and it barely reached her knees. Quickly, Legolas blinked away, grimacing in confusion and embarrassment. It was too late; she was gone.

 _Where in Elbereth's name was he?_ Elbereth…who was Elbereth? Why did he think of that?

Legolas sighed. At least the throbbing in his head was fading. He was warm, comfortable, and apparently cared for. It was hard to think about anything else.

"Here." The woman said when she finally came back. Legolas pointedly avoided his eyes. "Reiner gave this to me."

Kristy came around to sit at the bedside, before taking his face in one hand and placing a small, fist sized object against his ear. He recoiled at the touch, staring at her in surprise, before a _click_ snapped in his ear and he flinched.

"You know, they use this on stubborn babies, don't you?" She stared at the screen. "So dividing the difference between the two is…a near perfect 98.6 degrees!" Then, she smiled at him, relief shining in her eyes. "I'm glad you're better."

 _Was he going to reply to something he had no idea of?_ Or should he just- _Sweet Eru!_ Legolas suddenly grabbed the sheets and looked down. And to his flooding relief, he still had pants on.

Legolas summoned the strength to shuffle down deeper anyway, glowering. He wasn't prudish, but lying half-naked in bed with strange females was unbefitting.

"Oh…sorry about that." Kristy said quickly. "Your old clothes were really wet and- um, nasty. Reiner had some pants to spare, and… Well, sorry they're too short."

He stared at her a little darkly, before nodding and looking away. Judging by her penitent expression, at least there was an apology somewhere in that monologue.

Afternoon light poured through the windows and he found the floor was carpeted. Legolas tried to focus. The room was large and spacious, cluttered around the edges with a round table, shelves...books. Objects and things he couldn't even guess at scattered the place. A great window and a table piled in papers, coats and pens stood in the corner. It was all very strange.

"You're going to be as good as new in no time." Kristy said quietly, looking at him. Staring at him intently, she thought of all the ways she'd have to tell him as soon as he was well, that he had to leave. But she didn't. It was too soon. "I…I guess you'll be able to find your home, then. And family and friends and stuff, right?"

 _Why did she look at him so guiltily?_ Legolas stared…before losing interest and turning away. It was too hard keeping his eyes open. Besides, the fact that he wasn't dead, and this wasn't the _land_ of the dead only narrowed the possibilities of his location by one.

Kristy sighed. "Kay then. I'll go call doc and tell him you're fine."

Legolas let his eyes slide shut in response, before sliding deeper into the warm sheets with a heavy sigh. The pillows he sank in were soft, clean, and laundered. Somewhere, Legolas knew the things around him were remarkable, but he was too tired, too confused... He didn't know what to think about, what to feel. It was too hard.

So he didn't.

"I…have to go take Alice's shift." Kristy looked back. "But I'll be back in a few hours."

Legolas didn't answer, not even a blink. The clock ticked away the time and the hum of distant traffic filled the silence. Yet Legolas heard her on the carpeted floor. She slowly came back to stand above him a moment, looking at him; Legolas pretended not to know.

"Take care, huh?"

Then Kristy leaned down and brushed the stray hair from his face. Very gently, she combed it behind his ear, stroked it…and he flinched. _He should have felt that._ Legolas instantly froze where he lay. His ear should have been more sensitive to such a touch; he knew it. He should have felt a tingle shiver through his whole body. There was something missing…something terribly wrong!

And then Kristy was gone and he was alone. Legolas' heart thudded in his chest. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. And he didn't know what!

 _He was not the same…_ He was not the same.

 **A/N: So…what are you thinking so far? Any feedback is much appreciated. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow, thank you readers for all the positive feedback! You're all wonderful. I've changed the picture art for this story, by the way, because it was just my profile pic before. Special thanks for your wonderful reviews, jshaw0624, Guest, dreamer, Woman of Letters, Amateur Bacon Cook, , WyomingCowboy15, SparkyTAS, middleagemanager, and Andy the willow tree. :))**

Darkness…

Yellow and ruby blurs flew through the night. Legolas stood on a bridge, looking out over the whipping hum of a freeway. There were no voices here, no sounds, only the constant row upon row of white, red…white…red… It never stopped. The bridge where he stood, suspended by cables in the night, hung over the distant traffic. Even here, he couldn't see the stars. They were distant, lonely lights. He'd never been here before.

And as soon as it was there, it was gone.

. . . . .

 _Tick…tick…tick…_

Legolas cracked sleep-blurred eyes open. His face was crushed in warm pillows.

 _Tick…tock…tick_

Suddenly, he bolted up.

Legolas sat in the center of a bed, shaking the dream from his head. He bounced a little, curiously feeling the springs under him, before glancing around to take in the room. He remembered this room. It wasn't large, but the clearness of the center made it feel spacious. Cream walls, varnished wood furniture, an empty fireplace stood on the corner wall, things he didn't recognize under a great window.

 _Peculiar…_

He licked his dry lips, before curiosity and a fresh wave of energy pulled him from the warm sheets. Legolas threw on a loose cotton shirt from the back of a chair, closing a few buttons. The tabletop was littered in… things. _What were they for?_ Legolas carefully traced his fingers over them, before edging to a curtained door. He found his boots near the wall, and he glanced warily from oddity to oddity.

The ticking sound that woke him came from a glass disc, like a sundial. The low hum was warm breaths of air seeping through a vent in the wall… some kind of heating system.

Stars, where was he?

The door opened out onto a balcony. Legolas took in a gust of cold, windy air and leaned on the rail, looking out over a city… But he wasn't dreaming now. The buildings, the moving dots and distant echoes of voices and honks…They were real. Legolas shivered in the brisk wind, rubbing his arms through the thin shirt.

It was…impressive, at least. It did things for his mind, the cold and the wind, for his spirit. The sight of the massive city made him want to panic, but it calmed him at the same time. He was on a hill, and a dim blue haze shrouded the towering giants in the distance. He stood over the smell of exhaust and rushing bodies where the air was fresh…

 _But where were the trees?_ Where was the green and the stars amongst this chaos?

Legolas stared out over it all grimly. What a place he'd come to. How did it happen? Why couldn't he remember anything of importance?

And then a voice broke into his reverie.

"Legolas?"

Legolas whirled around. He forgot all about the woman.

"Oh, there you are." Kristy said shakily. She stumbled on the heeled boots she had on, trying to take them off. Folders and papers spilled out onto the floor.

For a strange instant, when she came in the door and saw the empty bed, she thought he was gone. Maybe Legolas didn't recognized this place as home? Maybe he went to find it?

Of course it wouldn't be that easy.

"Um, you look…" Kristy trailed off, unpinning her hair from work.

Legolas, standing alone in the fading light made her stop where she was in the threshold. She gripped her hands in her pockets, biting her cheek in the cold.

He was on the balcony in his boots and Reiner's pants, pale hair whisking over his shoulders in the wind. The thin white shirt rippled around him and clung to his muscular frame in places; his eyes were focused and cool. They had color again, blue-gray, sharp and focused. Dark circles made him look exhausted... But he was a man, fully mature and older than Kristy.

She knew that looking at him. It was strange. She remembered him sleeping peacefully in the pillows, wondering if he was even out of his teens yet. But this look wasn't unbecoming, she found as he stared at her without a blink. He was…attractive, to say the least. Intense.

"…um, better." She finally managed.

Legolas turned away. _What was the point making conversation when her words meant nothing?_

Kristy stepped carefully out onto the terrace, one foot in front of the other. The balconies were stacked atop each other from bottom to top, all the same; the floor of one was the ceiling of the next. The building was built with pale brown brick and steel. Distant voices echoed through the city and clusters of moving bodies filled the streets.

"So…I have something for you." She said as she came up beside.

Legolas just stared at the horizon, gripping the rail in his hands. He should show appreciation for her care. He should make his thanks known somehow.

But he didn't.

"I know you can't understand English, at least speak it." Kristy struggled for some way to tell him what she wanted. "But I was hoping you could, you know, _read_ whatever it was on your arm? It was ink that washed off, but I took a picture of it first."

Legolas just glanced to her from the corner of his eyes. Listening to her try and talk to him wasn't rewarding at the best of times.

"You…you still can't understand me. All right." So, heart pulsing in her ears, Kristy pulled the picture from her pocket. It was time to show him. The page was a printout, too smudged to make out herself, at least to copy. But maybe he could. She pushed it into his hands.

"What devilry is this?" Legolas muttered. The painting in his fingers was as real as life! How was it possible _?_ He turned to Kristy, seeking answers.

She had a black, hip-length coat on, belted tight around the waist. Strange. The girl was dreadfully uncomfortable under his eyes. So he made a point not to linger too long on her trousers. _Men's clothes_ …only tighter. She was just one surprise after the next.

"Who is this?" Legolas motioned with his hands, confused.

She pointed at him.

"…Me?" Legolas scoffed. "Impossible." He was sharp, flinty like steel. _How could it be?_ When? Where?

Kristy just sighed, before pointing at the picture. Then, she touched his arm…ignoring his surprised flinch…and back to the photo. It was no use talking. "What does it say?" she asked anyway, nodding to the black, smudged writing in the picture. "Can you read it?"

Legolas focused. He tilted the paper in the light, concentrating. It was hard. But then he froze. The words made sense. He couldread them! "I am…Legolas. I will not forget." The next line was smeared beyond recognition, but he knew what it said. He murmured aloud. "I am an elf of the Woodland Realm, and I will find my way home."

Kristy raised an eyebrow. "It makes sense?"

Legolas got the gist of that… and he nodded slightly. But the writing disturbed him, more than he could explain.

"Well that doesn't really help me." Kristy sighed, dropping her eyes in defeat. "Come on." she mumbled. "I'm going to make something to eat."

Oh when was she going to say something that made sense? Legolas stared at her. In fact, _why_ 'd she even bother talking?

" _Eat_." Kristy pushed stray hair behind her ears. "You know…eat?" At his blank expression, she pretended her hand was a spoon and pointedly ate with it. Then, Legolas grinned to himself.

At least hunger wouldn't be one of his troubles! She was going to feed him.

"I can't really ask what you want, but I guess that means yes." She half-laughed, moving into the house again. Behind her, Legolas tucked the picture into his pants, and he wouldn't look at it again. Kristy shut the door behind him. "Reiner wouldn't let you have much of anything, anyway."

"In here."

The kitchen joined the living room by an open doorway. It was just as queer. Wood cupboards and white-stained metal lined the walls; counters and boxes hummed and rattled quietly. Legolas sat at the table and studied the carpet, before glancing around. Windows lined the walls in pairs of three, and moving and digging through the cupboards across the tile was the she-human.

Soon, steam rose from some kind of cooking device. The smell reminded Legolas of how long it was since he last ate…Longer than he could remember.

Kristy glanced at him, pouring milk and running water. He stared at everything with wide, curious eyes. _How old was he?_ She thought thirty before…thirty-five maybe. But now, she wasn't sure. He looked at the things around him suspiciously, like a tiger on a leash.

And suddenly, Legolas cleared his throat. This was as good a time as any.

Kristy looked up. "What?"

"What is your name?" he repeated, then touched himself. "I am Legolas." It felt strange to say his name, barely familiar to him, but Legolas needed things that were firm, that were real. He needed to take them and store them away, start making memories where he had none. "You?" He questioned.

Kristy stared. "Oh! M-my name's Kristine."

Legolas blinked.

"You know, Kristine?"

"Kris-teen." Legolas murmured carefully, chewing on the unfamiliar word. Hm. Strange.

"Just call me Kristy." She said, but Legolas would have none of that. He'd echo one name over and over in his head, and that name would be this odd she-human he watched, but couldn't quite understand. Kristine.

"Lle hannon, Kristine." He said quietly as she set a bowl of food on the table for him. Then, Legolas leaned back. It was some kind of -

"Porridge? I am not a child waiting to be weaned!"

"It's all Doctor Reiner said you could eat." Kristy explained. She guessed at his distasteful expression. His stomach wanted it. Badly. But his mouth didn't. "You need food." Kristy said, watching his critical stare.

Was something wrong?

Legolas sniffed. Porridge and milk. Baby food. He wrinkled his nose.

"Well let me put it this way. All you've had is _vitamin_ supplements for at least a week now. And thatwas just since you ran into my bike. Who knows how long you were wandering around before that? You need solid food, chum." Then, Kristy patted his shoulder, rubbing her eyes. "Eat up."

Legolas wasn't sure what happened in that exchange, but he frowned at her back. At least she had the decency to sit up on the counter with the same bowl of gruel he did.

Soon however… he realized it wasn't like anything he'd ever eaten.

"Cream of Wheat." Kristy nodded to the bowl as he let the hot cereal settle curiously on his tongue, swallowing slowly and tasting another. Then she yawned, crawled down and dug something out of a cupboard. She sprinkled the spoonful of sugar on his cereal.

Legolas looked up.

"Don't tell doc on me."

 _Why did she cook for him?_ Why did she care?

"You are a strange she-human, indeed." Legolas said aloud, because he knew she wouldn't understand him. He raised an eyebrow, stewing on a strange thought. "And I wonder what you plan to do with me."

She shrugged in response, sort of a nondescript, tired shrug, and Legolas sighed. He ate until his stomach told him 'enough'. Then, for what was left of the evening, Kristy went about showing him things… The warm, running water was exquisite. The devilry of the 'television' was horrifying. She talked to him nearly constantly; Legolas understood not a word.

It was becoming grating.

"…Don't you think you should be resting?" Kristy said finally in the bathroom, careful to keep an arm-span away. Legolas didn't make a move to touch her, flinched when she did, but she wouldn't tempt fate. Kristy kept away from him.

"I-I mean Doctor Reiner said he was surprised you were up at all. Don't you think you should take it easy?"

"Take-a-teezy?" Legolas repeated, stepping into the shower and fingering the 'cold' knob curiously. Maybe this was like the one in the kitchen…

"You know, sleep." She stared at him, watching him play with the faucet. He looked like a boy, a boy with a strange new toy. Then at his narrow glance, she quickly blinked away and put her face in her hands. Kristy pretended to snore. "Sleep?"

"I am not going to rest." Legolas muttered in reply, examining the shower handle and deciding to try it. "I have slept enough, and I will sleep no more."

"But-"

"- Aye!" He shouted in surprise, leaping back. It was _not_ like the one in the kitchen! Legolas gasped, wiping his face and stumbling out of the shower in shock, dripping wet.

" _Kristine_!" he hissed at her agape face, coughing.

"What's the matter with you?" Kristy flinched and hit the shower door shut. He was shocked and spluttering water out of his mouth.

 _Angry._ He was angry.

"You live in a house of _wizard's_ tricks! I do not like it here."

"You pull the handle, obviously it's going to spray you down." She gasped in confusion.

"I do not _like_ it here!" He insisted, pushing his wet hair back. "Why does everything hiss, clang and explode?"

"Don't snap at me." Her back hit the wall. "I didn't do it. I-if you're going to push and pull randomly at objects, they're going to do something. What do you expect?"

"You make no sense, woman." Legolas didn't care that he did the same thing. He talked to her just for someone to talk to, to hear his own voice. But it was infuriating, unable to get his point across without using ridiculous hand motions. He spoke and no one understood. "I have no idea what you're saying." He snapped. Kristy winced, flashing her eyes over his face in hurt and confusion. " _Why_ do you bother trying?" he asked anyway.

Kristy's voice broke and she clamped her mouth shut. "I don't have any of my work done. " she uselessly hit the cupboards shut. "Obviously you don't want my help. So you know what? I'm done. See this? Pull the handle, water comes out. Figure it out for yourself."

"Stop _speaking._ " Legolas hissed. "I don't understand and you know it."

Kristy spun around, pointing at him. "Don't you snap at me!"

"You-"

"No! Just _stop_. I get cranky when I'm tired… Can't you tell?" She turned around. "That means an hour of sleep in longer than I can remember! That means walking _twenty_ -five flights of steps in God damn heels. That's the power going out, my alarm clock breaking, and getting to work late _twice_ in one week _._ So don't you dare shout at me!"

And suddenly, Kristy didn't care that he looked more bewildered than angry now. She hit the hair out of her face, wiped it, and pushed past him. Legolas whirled around, staring after.

"Do what you want! I don't care." She stomped into her room and slammed the door shut.

And then, there was silence. He shivered, letting the cold water cling to his skin.

What happened?

Legolas blinked, staring at the plain wood door. And standing there a minute, damp in the hallway, letting his temper cool…Legolas realized he was ungrateful. He was ungrateful, afraid, and he was angry. That's what happened.

Legolas walked numbly into the living room, before dropping down on the sofa. He laced his fingers.

Machines…lights, switches, things that bleeped and squeaked. Why did he let it gnaw at him? Legolas just didn't understand. He couldn't remember; he had nothing but the writing on his arm and words that made no sense.

Then…there was Kristine.

She tried to help him. Kristine fed him, nursed him out of his sickness…She was kind. And yet made no sense! This woman talked on and on about nothing, showed him things he'd never seen before. Then when he let a single burst of anger get the better of him, after all he'd been through, she slammed a door in his face!

 _What does she expect?_ Legolas thought, grimacing in frustration. It was only normal, and natural, and-and…and selfish.

Legolas stared at the floor. Kristine didn't know any more than he did. She didn't know how to fix him. How could he expect her to? She was exhausted; he saw it as soon as she came in. But he was too focused on himself, his own confusion, his own problems to think about it. He hadn't even thanked her.

But it wasn't too late.

"Kristine?" Legolas said quietly, coming slowly to the closed bedroom door. He stared at the polished wood grains.

Nothing.

"I…am sorry. Please forgive me?" Legolas mumbled the words. The woman may not understand his tongue, but she had to hear the penitence in his voice.

Kristy didn't answer. She was too tired, miserable, and behind in piles of paperwork.

"I thank you for what you have done for me." Legolas murmured more to himself than her. He stared at the carpet under his feet. "I…simply do not know what to do with myself. I have no reason to be here. I know who I should be, yet I am not that person."

Legolas thought about it, trying to put his feelings into words. "I…I should feel the wind and the sun. I know green and the trees; they should speak to me. And yet, they do not sing. They are smothered in steel and voices that do not listen. I cannot hear even my own mind."

Legolas lifted a hand, massaging his forehead. He leaned his head on the closed door, whispering. "I am not the same. I am a…a Woodland elf, yet I am not. I know not even what this is. I cannot feel what I am any longer."

And then…Legolas lifted his eyes. The door cracked open with a tiny creak.

"Kristine?" He said softly.

She looked at him…...or his chest, more accurately…through the space. She wouldn't meet his gaze. Her eyes were tired.

"I am sorry." He murmured.

Kristy mumbled something he didn't hear. It sounded like a hiccup.

"Even if I understood this language, I would have missed that." He smirked.

Kristy sighed, feeling deflated, like a balloon with not quite enough air to scrape off the ground. "I'm sorry." She whispered, shaking and clenching her fists. "I…I didn't mean to shout at you."

"If you apologize, which obviously, I would not understand anyway," Legolas said flatly, but just as quiet. "do not. T'was my fault."

Kristy stared at him mutely a minute, finally steady enough to look at his eyes as they focused on her…before smiling weakly.

"You're wet."

Legolas blinked.

"You're really wet and you had pneumonia and-and…" she trailed off. "I'll go get you a towel."

Legolas turned, staring after in confusion as she slipped around him and disappeared into the bathroom. A minute later though, she came out with a warm, dark towel and pushed it into his chest.

"Here."

He glanced down. Was this a response to his apology?

"If you're hungry again, there's more gruel."

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The next morning, Legolas was eating at the kitchen table. Kristine was opposite, painting her face with a mirror and brush. He watched, fascinated and disgusted… A strange place this was.

"I can still see your eyes." Legolas said flatly, chewing on his dry toast. Unappetizing, but it was food. "Here." He handed her what looked like a pen. Why not drown them out completely? "More?" he smiled innocently.

She stared at him, before taking the pen.

"Gee thanks." She mumbled. "Everyone's a critique."

Legolas wasn't even surprised.

Well, at least this language gap was indeed amusing in morning light. As long as he smiled, he could say exactly what he thought of this place, with no consequences. It was good she hadn't caught on yet.

"So…who do you try to impress with your artistic skills?" he asked innocently, resting his chin in one hand. The drapes were pulled back and morning light flooded the kitchen. Kristy was applying more eyeliner and he chewed casually.

"You know I don't know what you're talking about." Kristy tilted her head from side to side, examining her face from every angle. It was unnerving…that blue eyed, perfect face staring at her. But she did her best to ignore it.

"Really, I'm impressed." Legolas dropped his hand, taking a sip of juice. It tasted queer, but at least it wasn't milk. "My caretaker paints murals…on her face. Impressive." Then he grinned like a Cheshire cat. "And she doesn't even know it!"

"If you don't stop talking, I'm putting you on mute."

Legolas' eyes were alight…mischief, intrigue. It couldn't be good. Who knew what he was talking about?

Legolas just leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head. … And suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Legolas looked up. Strange. He heard the steps coming down the hall, but Kristy seemed oblivious.

"Doc!"

The shout was almost simultaneous. Kristy knocked the mirror over scrambling to get up. The screech hurt his ears! Legolas winced and touched it. _Was he more sensitive to these things, or did these people just bear it?_

Kristy was at the door in a minute, clipping her hair back and unchaining the lock. Outside, an old man stood expectantly in the hall.

"Come on in." Kristy stepped aside, making room. There were gray streaks in Reiner's hair, and he held a small black case of medical supplies. He was nothing if not traditional. "Your patient's in the other room." She said.

"He's coherent, then?"

Kristy laughed, side-eyeing the kitchen doorway. "Something like that."

"Hm. Should be resting."

Kristy couldn't see Legolas anymore, but she glanced back at the doctor. "What? Why?"

"Sick boy needs sleep. He shouldn't be up and about already."

"Well," Kristy said, taking his coat. "I doubt that's gonna happen. I already tried yesterday. He just stayed up all night watching 'tel'vision', as he calls it. He seems fine."

"Hm," Reiner's moustache twitched. "We'll have to see about that then, won't we?"

Legolas chose to make an entrance at that point, if that's what you could call it. He came up behind Kristy and stared at the doctor, eyes wary and cool. This was the man he remembered…the healer.

"Um, Legolas?" Kristy asked carefully, unsure of how to make herself understood. His smile was gone and he was deadly serious. Legolas stared at the man like he was just waiting for a wrong move. "Doc's gonna check you out, okay?"

Nothing, not a breath or a move.

"Well come on." Reiner said in a small voice. Something about his patient's silent stare did it; he was intimidating awake. The doctor spread a few bottles, a needle, and a stethoscope on the kitchen table anyway.

Legolas still didn't move.

"Sit!" And with that, Reiner made the mistake of turning about with a needle still in hand.

Legolas jerked away and shot a dangerous look, so fierce the little man backpedaled. Kristy pushed the needle out of sight, placing her other hand on Legolas' arm. He didn't pull away, but he tensed under her hand.

"I-I promise he won't hurt you."

True, this healer seemed to help him before…but that didn't mean it was his intent now. Still, Legolas reluctantly sat in the chair and let Reiner do his business. Kristy watched the whole time, leaning on the wall and folding her arms as he studied Legolas's eyes, ears, throat.

"He's a lucky young man." Reiner muttered after a while, knowing Legolas couldn't understand him.

"How lucky?"

"Very. Such severe pneumonia often brings complications," Reiner glanced up. "Barely a week of recovery? With strep throat? I've never seen it before, not in my career."

Kristy didn't answer, but she processed it to think on later. Reiner, with Legolas's blue-gray eyes on him every instant, pressed the icy head of a stethoscope to his chest. Kristy caught his shiver at the cold metal, and it made her smile.

Legolas looked so young, sitting there. Yet not quite. She stared at him. There was something ageless in his eyes, like he could be a boy of fifteen, or an old man of a hundred. She just couldn't decide which.

"What do you think I should do with him?" Kristy asked, looking at his pale face and fine hair. His shirt was unbuttoned to the navel and he sat board-straight, staring at the doctor's every move. Kris tried not to look: white, chiseled chest and pale skin like porcelain, he was perfection in its purest form.

"Well you can't keep him here." The doctor peered into Legolas' eyes with a flashlight, breaking Kristy's wandering thoughts. "That's for certain."

"No…" Kristy said quietly. "But what do you suggest?"

"I've been thinking on that." Reiner paused, glancing up. "On the corner of fifth and main, you know? There's a homeless shelter there. Those people'll keep him for a solid week, no questions asked."

Kristy looked away.

"The nice thing isthey don't just keep you though." Reiner continued. "They'll try and find work suited for him, maybe family ties in the area. Same name? Friends?"

"Yeah…um," she half-laughed. "I doubt they'll find anything."

Legolas leaned back, glancing between them. He wanted to know what they were saying about him, for they were surely discussing him.

"Why not?"

"I think…I think he's an illegal alien." Kristy confessed. "He didn't have any identification on him."

Reiner shrugged. "Could be. Either way, this is the place for him, if you ask me." Then the doctor dropped the flashlight from Legolas' eyes. "Does he have any pain or discomfort in the lungs?"

"Not that he showed." She sighed, walking over as Legolas didn't answer. Kristy touched her throat and her chest questioningly, before wincing. It took a moment, before Legolas realized what she meant and he reluctantly shook his head.

"Amazing. No pain." And Reiner rolled Legolas' sleeve up and picked the needle from the table again. He almost hadn't done it yet, and Legolas bolted to his feet.

"You will not touch me with that!" he snapped out loud, backing away. He didn't need another 'shower' experience.

Reiner looked up in shock.

 _Good_. Legolas flashed his eyes between them, just daring them to try it. He was weak, not ill. He didn't need this healer poking and prodding at him anymore! Much less with some pointed object that was obviously only good for stabbing.

"Legolas…please!" Kristy reached out, following with an obviously pleading expression. "He knows what he's doing. Trust me…please. He can help."

Her voice made Legolas pause.

"Please…" she said softer, standing where he put the wall at his back for a defense. Her eyes were wide and earnest; they begged him to cooperate. "I know you don't have to trust me, but Reiner knows what's best. He just wants to help. Please?"

Legolas hesitated… looking between them.

This woman was unknown to him, like everything else, but she had helped him. She'd given him food when he had none, blankets in the cold. And most of all, through the useless memories of wandering and wretched fear, he now had a place to ground himself. It was distant, but he remembered it. He had somewhere to brace his feet on and look at the world through clearer eyes.

He owed that to Kristine.

"Very well." Legolas muttered reluctantly, before dropping into the chair and pushing his sleeve up.

Legolas didn't know why or how the healer stuck him and injected the…something, into him, but it didn't take long for his eyes to grow heavy.

"Should take a minute or so." Reiner muttered.

"What will?" Kristy studied the way Legolas sat in his chair. It was like he could sit there for hours, or if he chose, be on the other side of the room before she could blink. She kept her eyes on him constantly, wanting to catch the movement if he did.

"I've given him a strong sedative." Reiner explained.

And Kristy shot her head up. "What?"

"It'll make sure he stays out awhile, gets some rest. That's all." Reiner hastily picked up his bag. Legolas' eyes were growing heavy by the minute and he was breathing fast. Something was definitely happening. "…and antibiotics to help keep his lungs clear. When he goes to the shelter, we don't want him having a relapse. Right?"

Legolas grimaced as they talked, slowly reaching up to hold his head. _Why was he so tired?_ His eyes felt like lead weights. Their voices were muffled and blurring and- And realization struck.

Damn it! He'd drugged him!

Legolas stumbled to his feet, furious.

"You cursed doctor!" he shouted, suddenly terrified of the blackness closing in. It was coming down faster and faster. He couldn't control it. He didn't _want_ unconsciousness, not knowing what was happening. Legolas needed control, to see his fate. But the world blurred and he lost his balance.

"I…I better go, Kris."

"You will suffer a fate worse than _death_ if you show your face to me again!" Legolas hissed, stumbling against the wall. It was infuriating.

"I'll see you in the morning." Reiner waved, scurrying out the door a little nervously at the last, murderous glare shot him from Legolas.

"I wouldn't recommend it. Just gimme a call!" She shut the door behind him and turned.

"That-" Legolas was on his knees, fighting to stay awake. He'd be damned if he let this have him! "That man will not touch me again. You'll not let him _in_ here again, Kristine!"

Kristy didn't know what he was rambling about, but a wave of remorse made her dip to her knees. "I didn't know he was going to do that. I swear." She whispered, looking up at him. Legolas struggled, gripping the floor and the wall.

"Please forgive me. I'm sorry…I didn't know."

Legolas screwed his eyes shut, trying to ward it off. But it was no use. He couldn't fight it.

And then, somehow he knew this happened before. It was his first real, concrete memory. A young woman, a healer stitching him back together…and then drugged him, made him pass out! He remembered feeling furious and ashamed at looking so weak, when he was perfectly capable of staying awake and dealing with the pain!

Kristy caught his head as he fell. The last thing Legolas saw was a glimpse of her face.

"It'll be all right." she whispered soothingly. "You'll wake up again. You'll feel better. I promise."

 _Damn you, doctor._ Kristine, why didn't you tell me? Legolas couldn't keep thinking, remembering the healer. The darkness was here to stay and he had to give in. He had to. Had to…

His eyes slid shut and his body went limp.

Kristy sighed. "I'm sorry."

She sat on the floor and cradled his head awhile, letting his silky blonde hair drain through her fingers. Kristy stared at him, a rush of inexplicable wonder, curiosity sifting through her tossed emotions. His skin was flawless and white; he was so perfect. All of the fury, the fear and silent control was gone. He didn't look a hundred anymore; he was ageless. The face that looked at her with such deadly, fathomless eyes was gone… And she knew he wasn't just angry. Legolas was afraid. He was afraid of the dark. He was afraid of losing himself, losing his way.

And Kristy sighed…watching him sleep. He took quick panting breaths as he calmed.

He was just a little boy.

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	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So, I originally wrote these two chapters in one piece. But I thought it gave more to the second chapter to post them separately. Sorry that each one is a little short! Again, thanks for your wonderful reviews , SparkyTAS, Andy the willow treem jshaw0624, Guest, dreamer, Woman of Letters, Amateur Bacon Cook, WyomingCowboy15, and middleagemanager. They were very encouraging. :)**

"There's no other way!" Kristy said the next morning. It was cold out. Frost clung to the windows and wind buffeted the walls. "You have to go."

Legolas sat at the kitchen table, awake again, but still brooding over the 'doctor' incident. Hot air breathed from the vent in the wall and warmed his hands.

"I'm sorry. You just have to leave." Kristy was trying to explain. He had to be out of the apartment by evening; she was going to take him to the shelter Reiner recommended. "My land lady has a monthly inspection of the apartment. She'd never understand. You can't _be_ here when she gets there. I'm not allowed to live with anyone but my dog."

Legolas looked at her, trying to decide what she was apologizing for. Kristine said 'sorry' so many times to him that morning, he'd somehow managed to guess its meaning. He appreciated the clothes she'd fit him with though…a coat, pants, shirt. They fit nearly perfectly, and Legolas folded his hands on the kitchen table, dressed in a loose, dark cotton shirt and jeans.

"Here, eat some breakfast." She came over with a plate of pancakes.

"Lle hannon." He murmured.

Legolas stared at her as he chewed the strange, sweet cakes. Kristine was pacing constantly. Her face was flushed, and the messy bun on her neck kept coming undone. She was shoving pans and clattering dishes uselessly, like she wanted something to throw and could not. She was upset.

"Listen." Kris spun around, clutching a spatula dripping oil on the floor. "I-I really don't think you're a criminal or a serial killer, anything like that. I really don't. I…just can't help you anymore. Understand?"

Legolas paused.

Morning sun streamed into the kitchen. Lacy whispers of frost froze to the window panes and dripped from the eaves. Kristy was still in her pajamas. Black smudges were under her eyes, tangled hair the color of bleached elm in the sun. Something was wrong. Something was going to happen today… Somehow, Legolas had a feeling he knew what it was.

"I-I just don't know what else to do." She turned away. "I mean you can't stay here! My sister would think you're my boyfriend. My land lady, she already doesn't like me. She'd kick me out. I…" Kristy shook her head, pushing the hair out of her face. She tried to cook and wash dishes at the same time. It made a sudsy, sloppy mess.

"I mean, I'm sure you'll be fine at the shelter. Maybe they'll find a job for you. I don't know. _Something_. I j-just can't-" Kristy covered her face, breathing fast. She couldn't stop shaking. _Why?_ Why did it feel like so much depended on this one decision? He was just someone, an anyone. It shouldn't matter! But-

But it did.

Slowly Legolas got up. "Kristine."

Kris spun around…before looking up in surprise. Legolas was there. She stared at him through her hair.

"You have done much for me, more than you know. I thank you for that."

"I-I don't understand you." she sniffed miserably.

So Legolas reached up and cupped her flushed face in his hands.

Her turmoil was his fault; Legolas knew that without a doubt. He didn't know how, but he knew she was trying to say farewell. The thought of it…wandering strange city streets, knowing he didn't belong here, knowing nothing but his name and a language no one understood…it made a sick pit in his stomach. There were no trees, no stars. Legolas felt panic rise, uncontrollable fear. He felt sick. The thought made him want to vomit. But he didn't show that.

His face was a mask.

" _Namaarie_ , Kristine." Legolas murmured.

"I…I guess that's goodbye?"

Legolas thought about it. "Goodbye."

And she nodded a little. A few moments passed and he dropped his hand from her face... They regarded each other.

Somehow, days of caring for him, stroking his hair, worrying for a stranger she knew nothing about…it made Kristy feel attached to him. It was ridiculous. She shouldn't worry about him. He would be fine. He'd be happy. He just needed a little time, a little… _Oh, why bother?_ The guilt ate at her like a monster.

Legolas had no friends here. He had no place to go. He was going to be alone in the city. Somehow, the man knew what she was going to do, too. And yet he accepted it. He didn't want to be the cause of her troubles. It was selfless and beautiful.

Legolas tilted his head slightly, enough to look in her eyes. She was a strange little she-human. But hers was the only face he'd managed to imprint on his mind. She was familiar. He'd listened to her voice in a sick delirium for days.

"It seems I have little choice but to trust you, Kristine." He said more to himself than her. "I pray you make the right decision."

"I wish I knew what you were saying." Kristy mumbled in response, staring at the floor. "I guess I'll never know now."

Legolas just looked. The girl wouldn't meet his eyes.

"I-I should go get dressed, I suppose."

… And she finally made a move to leave. Legolas shifted aside. It was a very slow walk to her bedroom. She turned the stove off, wiped some spilled oil. She looked back once, twice, three times, watching him stare after with a hollow, empty expression. It was all he could feel.

"I won't be long."

And she was gone.

Legolas walked numbly to the table and collapsed into a chair, or fell... He didn't know. He didn't care. It felt like he lived this again and again, over and over. His emotions were confused and over-tossed; his past life was like a dream. A dream you knew you had, yet just couldn't quite remember. It was growing increasingly frustrating.

And worse yet, he was leaving. He didn't know where, but he could stay no longer. _What would happen to him then?_

"Um…come on, I guess." Kristy said when she came out, buttoning her coat.

Legolas looked up. The black was washed from her cheeks and a tangled braid fell down one shoulder. The hair so often in Kristine' eyes was tucked neatly behind her ears. He sighed. Maybe wherever the woman planned to take him, they knew where the 'Woodland Realm' was, maybe how to get there. Maybe he could finally go home.

"We'd better get going. Want a good seat, right?" Kristy half-smiled. And then it faded. _Oh…what's the use?_

She spent the night staring at the wall, hating herself for what she planned to do. She hated herself for finding something she couldn't understand… _wanted_ to understand, and for throwing it away before she could. But it wouldn't do any good. She felt like an ungrateful, miserable wretch. Nothing was going to change that.

"Here's your coat." She whispered, handing it to him. Legolas took it. He didn't need her to, but she slipped the buttons closed and the zipper up his chest. He'd never seen a zipper…It was fascinating.

He watched her instead. He wanted to know how and why, what she was doing to him. Why wherever they were going was where he should be. He stared at her every moment as she carefully, reluctantly tied the belt around his waist.

"Kay."

They didn't take the elevator. The power was on again, but Kristy decided on the stairs…all twenty five flights. It was easier going down than up anyway, and she was stalling. She knew it and she didn't care.

"It was nice having you here." Kristy said quietly as they walked. It didn't matter that he couldn't understand. "And-and I'm glad I met you."

Legolas looked over, and at her solemn expression, nodded slightly.

They walked the two miles to the homeless shelter in rush-hour traffic. A gust of cold air hit his face and he breathed it in. Legolas looked at it all with a keen, more focused eye. He saw what he thought were steel giants, and they were in fact, great buildings reaching into the sky. The machines-cars, Kristine called them-came from nowhere and disappeared again in a constant, busy swarm. It was all very chaotic.

"See when the light's red, then turns to green?" Kristy said, pointing at the streetlights and the signs.

Then, watching the colors change… Legolas realized it was not actually utter chaos. Signals and lights regulated them, told them when to stop and go. The shining black windows in the cold sunlight, the faces walking past, their eyes straight ahead…revolving doors spitting people out and swallowing them whole again…It was fantastic! But it couldn't distract him long. He didn't want to be here. More than that, he didn't want to be here alone.

It was bringing back floods of feelings. Panic. He didn't want that again.

"I guess this is it?" Kristy asked, peering at a sign nailed to the wall.

Legolas looked at Kristine. She wouldn't look around long, afraid she'd change her mind.

Inside…there was a mass of people. Not shabby, homeless people typical of movies in fingerless gloves, gray coats and ripped hats. They were all fairly normal. And yet they all had one thing in common. They were alone and destitute. They carried bedrolls with them, looked at the world with empty, forgotten eyes. Those with cars ate in them. Families stayed together.

This was who the man was. It was where he belonged.

 _Right_?

Legolas went inside. Folding tables and chairs cluttered the hard floor. People were everywhere. A line of thirty shuffled on their feet at the food counter; the menu was chicken and white macaroni. They talked constantly. They moved constantly.

"Next!"

Legolas wanted to cover his ears at the din they made. The clattering trays and shouting voices were like a cacophony of confusion. He looked around, rooted to the floor and barely able to believe his eyes. _Oh Kristine._ Legolas thought in horror. _This is where you're taking me?_ What was this place? Where humans came to live their last…? Cough out a few more days of meager existence?

Kristy glanced around, feeling the guilt consume her completely. But it was no use. There was nothing else to do. Besides, this was where the man would be if she hadn't run into him! Surely, she'd helped him when she took him in. That was enough.

Slowly, Legolas shifted a few steps forward. He made himself do it, accepting but not fully realizing what was happening to him.

"Legolas…?" Kristy whispered.

He turned at his name, a brief hope flaring. She wasn't going to do this to him. Surely not yet. Not until he could learn something, remember, know where he was? Not until he could claw his way back to the surface and find a way back home!

But she was.

"Here's… some stuff." Kristy said quietly. "Um…toothbrush and some food, a flashlight. Stuff."

Legolas didn't even move. He just stared at her. Why? How could she?

"Here's some money. It-it might help, when you need it." She tucked the bills in his coat pocket. Her heart pounded in her ears and she couldn't stop.

 _Why does he look at me like that?_ Kristy looked up at him. _It's because you're a heartless monster._ It was because he wouldn't show it, not yet, but Legolas knew just how selfish she was. Kristy knew it too, and she hated herself for it _._

And Legolas turned away. There wasn't any point prolonging this.

"Legolas, I'm sorry!" she proclaimed an instant before catching him and grabbing him in a forceful hug. She did her best, but it only ended up choking him. "I'm sorry." She whispered into his neck. "I really am! P-please take care of yourself."

If she was apologizing so fiercely, _why_ did she do this to him? Legolas wondered fiercely. He wanted to _ask_ her this. He didn't want to hug the damn thing. It was the _last_ thing he wanted. He wanted answers! Legolas wanted someone to tell him how to go home, how to get away from here as fast and as easily as possible.

And so, Kristy pulled back and wiped her nose, dropping her head in shame. Legolas just stared at her an instant, before gently pushing her away.

"Go, if you must." he muttered. "I will not burden you further."

"Goodbye." she waved meekly. And then, Kristy scurried out the door and didn't look back.

Legolas stood alone, a miserably small pack on the floor beside him. He was taller than the crowd, making him feel even more out of place. The noise of these homeless, eating people was constant. They filled his head with what they had…no pride, no hope, no way of going home. And suddenly, Legolas felt forlorn and abandoned.

It was disgraceful.

Kristy cursed bitterly walking home. She cursed when she slipped on the ice, when her elbows crashed into the pavement and she wanted to cry. She cursed even harder when she waved down a taxi and road home…warm, safe, secure. Kristy was a rat, an ungrateful selfish rat. That's exactly what she was. She didn't deserve the things she had! Yes, she worked hard. She got somewhere by using what she had…She took responsibility for others, school, work. But she never could have done it alone. She had people…parents, friends, co-workers. Help!

Legolas had no one. And Kristy left him that way.

. . . . . . .


	5. Chapter 5

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Darkness…

White and ruby blurs filled the night. Legolas stood on a bridge, looking over the whipping hum of a freeway. There were no voices here, only the constant row upon row of white, red…white…red… It never stopped. The bridge where he stood, suspended by cables in the night sky, hung over the distant traffic. It was just as his dream was, those days ago. There was no light, no stars. They were the distant, lonely lights he couldn't keep. They weren't there for him. They were memory, bittersweet, something he couldn't remember and couldn't have.

A distant honk broke into his reverie and he blinked, looking down. These 'cars' were a blasphemy to nature itself. They were loud, smelled of steel and foul fumes; they were the voices of a thousand things he didn't know. But they didn't feel alive. They just…were. Even when he saw face upon face in their dark windows, he couldn't think of them as souls.

It was cold out.

Legolas shivered. Miserable. Dark. The wind blustered past him and bit at his ears. And still he didn't regret leaving the shelter. Damn that place. It wasn't where he belonged! Curse Kristine for leaving him there.

If she was going to abandon him, leave him to fend for himself, then…then just leave him on a street corner! Have the decency to do what she wanted instead of comforting her _own_ conscience with those pathetic platitudes of 'kindness'. He didn't belong there. Legolas wasn't homeless; he had no home. He wouldn't beg, even if he was a beggar. He needed help, but he wasn't helpless. It wasn't fair.

Legolas pulled the green bills out of his pocket, staring at them. 'Mo-nie' was what she called it. _This was what she left him?_ Legolas looked at it, gripping it in his fists, before throwing it angrily over the bridge. He didn't need it! He didn't want it.

 _And what_ do _you want?_ An annoying voice asked him.

Legolas reluctantly thought about it. He wanted home; he knew that. He wanted trees, or to see the stars again. He wanted to feel the warmth of the sun on his face and…and the living room with the 'tel'vision' and bowl of gruel. It was amazing. He thought that place of wonder and horror was terrible. But now…it was all he could think about. It made him bitter.

 _Why didn't he just jump from this very bridge?_ The small voice asked. _Why not?_ Legolas wondered himself. He stared out over the city, gripping his hands. They were icy in the thin air. It wouldn't help; that's why. It was the easy way out. Maybe some thought it wasn't, that just…ending it all… was the brave thing. Some thought it was courage.

But it wasn't.

Living was harder. Fighting the battle, every day, every hour, was harder. It was a fight Legolas was determined not to lose. He would fight to his last breath, even if that was all he had when it was finished…his last breath.

Kristine.

Why did she do it? Why did she abandon him? Even now, memories sifted through his head, of his past life. He remembered sun and cold, dark and warmth. His very essence was beginning to seep through him again. He felt things he'd felt before. He knew things. Yes, he was Legolas. Yes, he was an elf…or at least, he should be. He was different than these earthlings.

Kristine. _Why did you do it?_

If only she'd waited, waited until he learned this strange tongue. If only she waited until he told her who he was, how he couldn't stay here. Maybe she would have listened…

Well, it was too late now.

Legolas pushed away from the rail, standing alone in the night a long moment…before walking away. He walked himself into a daze. It was the first night since Kristine left him. It felt like an eternity. He was hungry and thirsty. All through the city, Legolas searched for something, anything to jog his memory, something to help. But he found nothing.

As for the people, only the children showed any interest in him at all. Blocks barred the streets some places. He had to avoid them. Soldiers combed the streets; he didn't let them see him. They were dangerous.

And well…he decided sometime in the night…at least he knew one thing now. The only reason Kristine helped him at all was that she crashed her vehicle into him. No one travelling these streets cared, not even a little. Neither did she. If she cared, she wouldn't have dumped him in a beggar's hell. It made him feel terribly alone, and vastly un-special.

Maybe he didn't matter, after all.

And suddenly…Legolas froze. He dragged himself out of his self-deprecating thoughts to look around. The city was different here. The houses were older; trash littered the streets. It was…darker.

"Hey Jamie!"

Legolas tilted his head.

"Well, look-it here. What've we got?"

It was an apartment complex of old, broken bricks. Legolas hadn't noticed it before, but the street was deserted. No one was here. He had no weapon. Legolas started walking again…he kept going. Maybe it was best he didn't linger.

"Hey come on. Come here, girl!"

But it was too late for that. A shrill scream shattered the night air and Legolas shot his head up.

"Get off of me. Help! I-"

Legolas broke into a run. It happened too fast to think. He didn't let himself think. He acted. There were five…no four men. Two short, two tall, and a woman between them. He bolted down the alley as deft and silent as a cat.

"Come on, honey. Gimme some!"

"I'm notyour honey, you bas-"

And Legolas appeared. The woman was rammed into the wall. It was a wet, brick alley and blackness, too dark to see. Her attackers were jeering and throwing a bottle between them. Legolas didn't hesitate.

He took the first down by leaping and skidding on the brick street, spitting up water and kicking the legs out from under him. It was confusion. Legolas leapt and twisted his arm around a man's neck. A sharp gasp of surprise came out of him and Legolas grabbed his face. The woman was screaming; her coat was on the wet street. Jamie's friends were shouting. One pull! It would take just one pull to snap the man's neck.

But Legolas stopped.

 _Was he a killer?_ He should murder the filth for what they were doing here. He deserved to die! But he hesitated… _Was he a killer?_ Had he killed before? Legolas knew it was yes. But in that instant, he wanted to know if he would kill again, if it would be this man that would die. And that instant was all it took.

"Get him!"

Jamie staggered back and someone hit him in the face. Legolas' head made impact on the brick with a sharp _crack_. They were on him before he could jump to his feet, but he managed to dive between the scrambling bodies.

"Run!" Legolas shouted at the woman. She didn't understand, but she spun around and bolted, disappearing in the night. Legolas was alone.

A sudden premonition flew him to the ground and he rolled over, just in time for the slash of a knife to sing over his head. It was a blur, but so was he. He grabbed one's arms and used it as leverage to leap through them. The world was spinning and he couldn't breathe. His reflexes were slow, slower than they should be. The wet air was making him cough. _Why?_ He didn't have time to wonder.

Legolas kicked the legs out from the nearest and scrambled to his feet. Suddenly, he was surrounded. He looked around, back against the wall.

"Well look where she went, boys!" A husky voice came, and a fist came down on his chest. Legolas slammed into the wall, gasping in pain and shock. The wind knocked out of his lungs. A face pulled him close and Legolas grimaced, fighting the grip and foul breath.

"Pretty boy… almost as nice. What've you got for me?"

And he thrust himself off the wall. Legolas leapt, hair flying. Moonlight glinted off the knives and he felt blood in his hands. He didn't know if it was his or not. Twice he avoided a jab to the belly. He didn't have time to think; he fought. They tried to catch him again, slashed at his face, but he ripped away just in time. When the three kept him against the wall, the other took a reprieve. He felt a sharp sting graze his side and he knew he was hit; he ignored it.

Legolas wrenched a knife out of one's hand and managed to send him flying into the wall. _One down._ He took the other and used the back of his skull to smash into his face. _Two._ But just when he saw the break he needed and he was going to run for it…something shook. It was instant and sudden.

The ground!

"What the-" a voice choked and they staggered.

Legolas grabbed the ground. It was vibrating… It started with just that, just a shout of terror from one of the men. But it grew and mounted so fast he didn't have time to run. The roar of a thousand winds ripped through the clouds and Legolas shook his head, panting. Sweat and sleet ran down his face. _What was happening?_

The earthquake shook violently through the city. Freezing rain shattered on steel, exploded in a sudden rush of droplets. Legolas fought for his balance, before staggering upright. Flames...Lightning! It was rippling through the clouds like wildfire. _What happened?_ Where was it coming from?

And then, he looked up.

 _Elbereth…_

What he saw made nothing else matter. It was a burst of light, as if a spinning orb of white shone from the clouds and they spiraled out of control. Black and white ran from sky to earth like a tornado, but it didn't move. It spun and roared, shook the very earth…two…three…four of them!

Legolas gasped. His eyes spun and reeled, but he knew what he saw. Even as the storm raged on, as quickly as it roared to life, the lights snapped closed and there was nothing.

Sweet Manwe.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well, this installment is a bit longer than the last one. Chapter length is going to have to vary anywhere from maybe…2500 - 5000 words? Makes it easier to break up in good spots.**

 **Of course, thank you for the reviews Scylla's revenge, wickedGreene13, Andy the willow tree, , SparkyTAS, jshaw0624, Guest, dreamer, Woman of Letters, Amateur Bacon Cook, WyomingCowboy15, and middleagemanager. If I've not answer them all, I meant to and I thank you now. :))**

. . .

"Kristy… _Anderson,_ is it?" Mrs. Pumpet clicked her pen and checked something off on a clipboard.

Kristy stared at her. "I've lived here for three years. You know my name."

"Three years? Huh, seems like longer." The landlady came down the hall on heels that made her body waddle in a funny way. But Kristy didn't laugh or even smile. According to the lease, damage to the apartment made her qualify for 'removal', as well as the next month's rent for repairs on said damage.

This woman held livelihood in the palm of her hand.

"Let's get to the inspection."

"In there." Kristy sighed

She didn't want to be here. It happened every month; she should be used to it by now. But she wasn't.

"Where's that dog of yours?" Mrs. Pumpet went into the kitchen, ticking things noisily off on a board. Kristy leaned against the wall, looking through the windows.

"She was at the vet. I'm picking her up tomorrow."

"No scratched out walls?"

She shook her head, staring out the glass.

"No torn furniture, broken pipes, clogged drains?"

Kristy shook her head again… _I wonder where he is right now._

Pumpet poked at a few holes in the wall where pictures used to hang, making the pricks more prominent. She examined the ceiling, looked down the sink. Kristy stood by, staring. Seconds were hours. Hours were days. _What was he doing right now?_ She wondered.

"How about the bathroom?"

… It would be getting cold out. Dark, too. _How cold would it get?_ No one seemed to know. The news said it was the storms; the police said it wasn't. It didn't matter. Maybe it would drop to freezing. Maybe it would hit zero.

 _What would happen to him then?_ Would his coat be enough?

Pumpet turned around, before glaring over the rims of her peaked glasses. Kristy was staring emptily out over the city. "Are you _listening_ to me, Anderson?"

"How long could someone survive out there…at night?" Kris whispered. She gazed at the black clouds in the east, the sun dropping from the horizon. It was just a dead, white glow. Frost froze to the window in icy webs.

Was he all right?Was he thirsty?

Kristy saw him. His blue-gray eyes staring at her back, watching her escape…She saw his mouth clamped tight, hands in limp fists. She saw a thousand things run through his eyes, but he didn't break down and beg. He didn't ask for anything…not a single thing.

And suddenly, Pumpet snapped her fingers. Kristy jumped.

"W-what?"

"The _bathroom_ , Anderson, the bathroom. Pronto!"

"The bathroom… right. This way." Kristy shook her head, trying to push Legolas out of her mind. There was _nothing_ else she could do for him. He couldn't stay. How could he? It was preposterous.

"In here." Kristy said breathlessly. There just wasn't enough air. It was like an anxious fever that she tried to keep down and couldn't. She kept remembering his face when she left him…the miserable pack on the floor. How he just stared at her.

Oh, what did it matter? She left him. It was over and done with.

"…and that dog has been digging up the linoleum again-"

Kristy gripped the windowsill, looking through the shades. It was so busy out! Traffic was everywhere. _At least he'll be safe at the shelter._ He'd be warm, dry, fed. He'd be all right…

 _Wouldn't he?_

"-and when she gets back from the vet you'd better-"

And it was too much. Pumpet's voice, the scratching pen, the cold clinging to the walls from outside…Kristy snapped.

"Shut up, already!" She burst out, spinning around.

Pumpet blinked.

"I mean…" she gasped. "I mean I'm sorry. I-I have to go. I have to go!" _What was she saying?_ Kristy froze, realizing exactly what she said. She was leaving. She had to fix the mess she made.

And Kristy was running for her coat. It wasn't too late. It wasn't!

 _How could I do it?_

Legolas was alone. She remembered it all too well…frustrated, disappointed, miserable. He was afraid and too strong to show it. He was angry and too ashamed, too proud to show that either. But that didn't mean he wasn't next to helpless out there. _Why_ did she do it?

It didn't matter. None of it mattered.

Even as she ran to pull on her boots, she raced for a way. There was always a way. Always. _The roll-away couch…_ he could sleep there. Clothes _,_ more money…she'd take Corby, her boss, up on his offer. She'd do the accounting for the store.

Kristy tried to turn the corner, but she slipped on the carpet and crashed to the floor. She was banging feverishly on the elevator button before she could even get her coat back. She left it.

"Oh please, please still be there…" she whimpered. Kris rode all the way to the bottom. From there, her car started on the first try. _Story?_ Well, he could be her cousin, or long lost brother, friend of a friend of a friend. Who cared?She'd get him back. That was all that mattered.

When the building came into view, she squealed into the 'disabled parking' slot and didn't care. She was shaking. Kris ran into the crowded door, aimed for the counter, and she struck every person on the way. There was a woman there, mid-twenties maybe. "Where is he?" she panted. "Where is he? A man, long blonde hair! He was tall, dressed in a gray-belted coat, boots. Have you seen him?"

"Long blonde hair, huh…kind of pale? Eyes like, wow, so deep." She smiled dreamily. "Oh yeah, I saw him."

"Well, where _is_ he?" Kristy hit the countertop in frustration. The woman was infuriatingly calm. "What happened to him?"

"Well actually, I saw him leave here quite a few hours ago." she confessed. Then 'Amy' her name tag said, blew a fluff of hair back and smirked. "I've hung around a little to see if he comes back."

 _No._ No, it couldn't be. She was too late. He was already gone? He's wandering the city alone! Legolas couldn't speak to anyone. He couldn't get a job. _Oh, why didn't that man have the sense to stay here?_

"Which way did he go?" Kristy ignored the protesting calls behind her, telling her to get back in line. "Right or left? Please, please tell me."

"Hm…right, I think." Amy shrugged, before shaking her head and waving Kristy on. "I don't know. Come on. Move along, lady. You've got a line behind you."

Kristy grimaced in frustration, before turning around and bursting back out the door. She looked back and forth. _Right, huh?_ Well she'd go right. She'd search the entire city if she had to. If he crossed the river and made it to St. Paul, she'd find him there too.

And then, a thought struck her. The police…they would pick him up before he made it that far. He didn't have any identification. The army was posted on all the bridges at the river and the capitol. She should have thought of this hours ago, days ago!

 _What would they do with him?_

Kristy wasn't willing to find out. She didn't care about the consequences anymore. She couldn't stand this terrible guilt; she wanted to get him back and feed him. She wanted to talk to him and see his strange, blue-gray eyes peer at her with a cool depth she couldn't understand. Kristy wanted to know what Legolas tried to tell her, why he was sick and wandering.

Kris was walking determinedly back to her car. It was raining out, sleeting in icy curtains. Her mind was set on the car, speeding away, on finding him no matter what. But then…something broke that concentration. It crackled and snapped faintly through the dark. She managed to listen to it a moment. It was wrong for this temperature… _thunder?_ How could it be thundering? Construction maybe...

No. It was too dark out.

Kris froze, looking around. _Thunder._ It wasn't thunder. It was too cold. She couldn't see the sky anymore; the buildings blocked it out in clouds. She couldn't see… And then there was a ripple, a shifting in the air. She felt it in the wind. It was charged and electrified, like before a storm. The cement shuddered under her feet; it rocked and trembled. _What was happening?_ Was this what the news was talking about? Storms…earthquakes…why the national guard took matters in their own hands?

It didn't make sense!

The sound of rushing air and roar grew to a crescendo somewhere in the building tops. Kristy dove to the street and covered her head, letting the asphalt shake and quiver like a leaf in the wind. It didn't crack or break under her, but the deep shudder was there and…and then gone?

Kristy looked up through her hands, soaking wet and shaking in fear. Sleet poured from the skies and gushed down the gutters. It didn't take long for screams and the sound of honks to echo through the night. Lights-yellow, white, red-all through the city went out. Police sirens. Ambulance screams…

Legolas!

Kristy bolted to her feet, before scrambling with the car door and getting inside. Legolas was out there! He was somewhere in a panicking city of thousands where no one understood him. He could be hurt, injured. He could be _killed._

Street after street passed. She searched the faces, every store-front. A few lights were still on, reserve power maybe. In the dark, headlights were everywhere. They were on and glaring off the wet streets. Bodies were melting into one…running, shouting, diving into buildings…and she couldn't see. Brown heads, dark heads, red-heads…no one that was Legolas. The whole city was shut down! How was it possible?

It was too late for panic. Panic wasn't enough. It wasn't the right word anyway. Terror, that was what made her search. She had to find him. It seemed like hours of near-miss collisions, honks. The traffic lights were out, even some of the street lamps. She thought she'd never find him.

And then…they were there.

It was a deserted back street, just a few miles from work. Kristy saw something happening up ahead and she focused. They were police. They were shouting and people were between them, men…hoods, knives. Suddenly, a familiar blonde head appeared between them and Kristy gasped. As luck or kind fate would have it, one of them was her stranger.

"Legolas!" Kristy pulled over and scrambled into the passenger seat, throwing the door open. She didn't know what happened, or why police were grabbing down four men in the night…but Legolas shouldn't be here. They were in a scuffle; they couldn't see in the dark. Kristy switched her headlights off to keep it that way.

"Legolas, get in!" she shouted, flinging the door open. Three police were in the fight. But at her voice, they broke off a little. Legolas whirled around in surprise.

"Hey!" One of the cops shouted. "Get back."

Legolas glared almost as fiercely, which said something. She didn't have time to wonder why. "Legolas, getin the car quick!"

She wanted him? _Now_ the woman came after him? This damn woman was too much.

"You made your feelings _very_ clear to me, Kristine." He snapped and fought back. Legolas was backed in a corner. He looked around, panting, searching for escape. The police arrived almost as soon as the storm did. He didn't have time to get far before they were on him.

Oh, Kristy didn't need a translator for that. She leaned over from the drivers' side, unable to believe he'd take the policeover her. Did he _want_ to get arrested? Didn't he know this wasn't the time to get involved with the law? Not when the city was terrified and panicking.

So was Kristy.

"You have to come with me." she hit the steering wheel in frustration. "Don't be stubborn _now_ of all times!"

"I am not a puppy to be abandoned and picked up again!" he shouted angrily at her. Legolas struggled harder and swore. "You don't own me."

" _Legolas_!" she fairly screamed. "I'm sorry for what I did. Okay?" she pleaded. "Come on. Get in the car."

And there was a break. They weren't looking and their hands were full with the others… He didn't have a choice.

Legolas grimaced, before shoving through them and running to the curb. He fairly threw himself into the passenger seat, and Kristy slammed the door shut after him. Then, without even telling him to brace himself, she stomped on the gas and sped away.

"I said I was sorry, for God's sake." Kristy hissed as they swerved onto the highway. "I've been looking all over for you!"

 _They were moving so fast._ Legolas grabbed his seat in shock, staring at the buildings in the night. They whipped past in a blur. _Sweet Eru._ This was what riding in the swarm of steal monsters was like? _Why did he agree to this?_ His heart beat wildly in his ear. But whether it was from the storming lights that rocked the world or their incredible speed, he didn't know.

Kristy tried to glance over, concentrating on the road and slowing down, before fumbling with her seatbelt. "Are you all right?"

Legolas didn't answer.

She wanted to shout at him now, make him talk and _make_ him understand. But he wasn't deaf. She motioned hard with her hands in an outward, circular motion. Legolas knew very well what she meant.

"I am uninjured." he growled.

And then, Kristy caught sight of his hands. She almost swerved into the ditch. "Oh my god, you're bleeding. Th-those men...were you _fighting_ them?"

Legolas clenched his bloody fingers and snapped his arms closed, hiding his slashed side. "Do not even _pretend_ to care for my well-being, Kristine. And why are you here at all?" he snapped, glaring fiercely at her.

Kristy didn't know what he was saying. The tires squealed in the rain. It pounded off the windshield in sprays and she panted, trying to stay in control. God, he was fighting four men…with _knives_. They turned onto an off-ramp that led home _._ Did this man have a penchant for trouble? Or did it just follow him around? It didn't matter. Somehow, she had a feeling he was swearing at her.

"Or did you forget something maybe?" Legolas pressed. "Like maybe a 'best wishes' on your way out?"

"Oh be quiet." She snapped, squinting through the dark. She could barely even see, much less hear. Soon she had to slow down. People were pouring out of the buildings in swarms. Headlights were everywhere, glinting and reflecting off the rain. Moving bodies were everywhere and she almost hit them. "And stop fighting with the door release!Oh…" she laughed, terrified, "unless you want to get _arrested_ again _,_ that is. Brilliant move, by the way!"

Legolas fumed, staring out the window. They were crawling now, inching forward. Hands slammed on the hood and the windows, some trying to get inside. Legolas stared at their blurry faces in disbelief. Others just ran around them and pointed at the sky. Panic made him want to grab onto the car door, but he wouldn't. He refused. He didn't cower in the storm; he wouldn't now.

And then there was a break. The steel beast crept a little faster.

It was a long time before Kristy talked again, and her pounding heartbeat subsided a little. They were on the highway again and the streets were clear of people.

"Are you hungry?"

Nothing but the hum of traffic outside answered. Nothing but the glow of the console. The city had some power here. Flashing streetlights lit his face.

"Have you _eaten_?" She looked over, and then again. She couldn't see more than his profile. He glared out the windshield, deadly silent. Oh, just answer! She was angry enough with herself, nevermind his too.

Walking noisy, dark streets made Legolas like this. He was shocked at first; he understood that she wouldn't want this burden. But the longer he went, listening to chaos that hurt his ears, the more he didn't care that he was selfish. He felt like a vagabond, some worthless creature wandering the streets.

It was maddening, infuriating…and he was miserable. He couldn't stop thinking about what he remembered. He remembered trembling earth, the columns of light twisting from sky to earth. It was all too real, all too familiar. He couldn't understand, not yet, but they were crucial somehow. It was angering that he didn't know why.

Then, Kristy dug a candy bar out of the console and offered it to him.

Legolas politely declined by snorting and looking away. _She was thinking about food?_ She thought he'd actually _accept_ food from her? 

Kristy looked away. Why was he doing this now? They were fortunate to be alive! With her luck, he'd pass out from low blood sugar and she wouldn't be able to get him out of the car. He was a tall man.

"Come on, Legolas." She pushed it into his lap. "Just eat."

"I want nothing from you."

"What's the matter with you?" she asked sharply. "I _told_ you I was sorry. You can't eveneat _?_ I know you haven't, okay? The shelter said you left hours ago."

"I don't want your pity!" Legolas shot back. He didn't care that he was arguing with someone he couldn't even understand. "And I don't care for your change of heart either. I will find my way home with or without your help, _Kristine_. You made it _very_ clear this morning that it would be without."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Legolas." she shook her head. Kristy pulled into the underground parking lot. She'd managed to make it home without hitting anything. The sirens were still screaming, but they were faint outside the steel walls. She was shaking; Legolas was bleeding. There wasn't any time.

"Come on."

Legolas wasn't sure why he fought with the door release, got out, and slammed the door shut. He wondered even harder why he stalked after her to the 'moving box', where it would carry him up…up…all the way to the twenty-fifth floor. Kristine was here out of guilt. He shouldn't walk her floors or take her pathetic help.

But he did. He was shaking and couldn't stop. His nerves were like frayed wire. Legolas was too angry, cold and upset to think of a better option.

"Dammit." Kristy pushed wet hair out of her face. They stopped in front of the elevator and she poked the button.

Nothing.

No lights, no cheerful _ding._ Nothing. It meant twenty-five flights of stairs to climb. Of course. Legolas held his side, grimacing at the prospect. The garage seemed darker then outside and he just stared at the woman's back. Her head dropped.

"The power's out."

Legolas groaned.

. . . .

Black...orange…yellow…

The faint light quivered here and there. Kristine's apartment was quiet and chilly. Only the heat of the fire lapped at the walls. It danced in Legolas' eyes, red on blue, like fire on a lake. It threw gentle, wavering shadow across the walls. Black and orange pulsed faintly over the carpet.

Everything else was still.

It was quieter now. He could still hear the honks and sirens outside, but they were distant and 25 flights down. Wind blew in a steady, hushed murmur against the walls. Legolas sat cross-legged at the fireplace, bare-chested and slowly feeling warmth tingle through his limbs. It warmed his ears and burned his face. The heat soothed his spirit. Only the steady, snap _crack_ of the fire broke it…

It seemed like an eternity ago that he was standing in the rain…looking up at the ripped, torn sky. It was just a few hours ago. Legolas remembered the chaos, the fear. But it was like someone else lived it. He could think. He could reason. And now, he wasn't altogether sure if what he saw was real or not.

He stared into the flames, watching the firewood grow black and break, char white and turn to ash.

"Can I see your hand?"

Kristy knelt down, fidgeting in his blurry peripheral vision. Legolas knew what she wanted…but he didn't move. He thought about refusing. But he didn't, somewhat reluctantly. The damn thing hurt. So he lifted his hand, palm up.

Legolas' hair was almost dry. His clothes hung near the fireplace. But the power was still out. He wore Reiner's pants. Kristine she dabbed at his palm with a cotton swab. The peroxide stung and sizzled on his skin, but he ignored it. Her hands shook and she scrubbed the salt out of her eyes as she worked. She was a mess.

But he ignored that too.

A few minutes passed. "This…this should have stitches." Kristy sniffed and swallowed. "Um, I can't do it. And-and I think the emergency room will be full w-with the earthquake, and-and everything."

Legolas didn't answer.

So, she dropped her eyes and fell silent. The room was dark. Kristy scrunched her brows together, concentrating on his wounds.

Both Legolas' hands were slashed. A jagged cut raked across his ribs on one side. It was ugly and black. With a blood-soaked rag, an onion skin, and a slice of Aloe Vera plant, it had finally stopped bleeding enough to clean. She was terrified when it took an hour to stop it. But Legolas barely flinched.

It just upset her more. It was like he didn't feel. Like he wanted to show her just how silent he could be.

His mouth was a thin tight line.

So Kris placed butterfly stitches where she could, strips of tape to keep the injuries from opening again. But when it was finished, when she couldn't fidget with him any longer, pretend to be busy no matter how hard she tried… she had nothing to do with her hands.

"The anti-biotic cream will m-make it feel better soon." she whispered. Kris looked painfully at the clean slice on the inside of his fingers, biting her lip. It looked like he caught a knife in his hand and it had been ripped away. The thought was sickening. It made her want to vomit.

But that wouldn't help.

Kris peeked up. Legolas was staring at the fire with an empty, cold expression. The flames reflected in his eyes. They were fathomless, shimmering like pools of moonlit water.

Kristy couldn't look up.

"Does it feel any better?" her voice broke and she swallowed the lump in her throat. It hurt like the tears searing her eyes. She blinked them back furiously, and she looked…at her hands, the floor, anything. The guilt ate at her, burning and real like a fresh wound.

Again, Legolas didn't answer. He just clenched his fingers, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Legolas I," Breath caught in her throat. In the morning, what happened might be on the news. The government would have an explanation. She'd have answers. But none of that mattered now. She rasped, "I-I didn't want this to happen."

He knew what she wanted. Kris wished he would say something…anything, to her. But Legolas wouldn't move. He wouldn't even look at her.

And suddenly, something shattered and Kristy hissed through her teeth. "I'm sorryLegolas." Tears broke her eyes and she whined fiercely. " _This_ …" she gestured around, "this is my fault. It's all my fault. Alright? I know."

Legolas swallowed, but he still didn't answer.

"I…I was just s-so scared." _Keep it_ _together._ "I-I didn't know what else to do."

Kristy lifted her head, sniffing. She wanted him to look at her…say something, be angry, anything _._ But he didn't. The quakes terrified her, the police, the fear and blackness. She felt alone and destitute. When he was shouting, when he was angry, it was better than this.

Now he was silent.

"I _wanted_ to do what was best f-for both of us." She cracked. She tried to stop. She'd tried for hours. When she was driving blind, taping his torn bleeding body back together. But now...she was slowly falling apart.

"No, that's not it. I did what was best for _me._ I was selfish and-and I didn't care. And I'm sorry." She shook her head, hiccupping so hard it hurt. She fidgeted with the carpet. "I'm sorry, Legolas."

The man was wet and knifed; stitched together with a godamn first-aid kit. _Who knew what happened to him out there?_ Those men?Four against one, it wasn't fair. None of it was fair.

Kristy looked up desperately. "I wish I could take it back, Legolas. I didn't want this. I swear I didn't! I just-" her voice abandoned her and she clapped a hand to her mouth, sobbing. She looked through blurry eyes at the blood. _Legolas' blood_. "I'm just s-sorry _."_

Kristy dropped her head and cried.

And slowly...reluctantly, Legolas looked over.

Her shoulders were so small. Every time it looked like she mastered herself, she lost again. "The people, th-they were so scared!" she gasped, remembering. "I've never seen people _look_ like that. Everyone was shouting and crying and-and-…I couldn't think. I couldn't find you! I couldn't breathe. I-"

Legolas just looked at her, unsure of how to respond.

Kristy's face was screwed up in misery. The tears were spilling down her face and she couldn't stand to look at him anymore. She couldn't take that silent, cold expression in his eyes anymore. It hurt. _He hated her_. He thought she came after him because of _guilt,_ to make herself feel better.

It wasn't true! She wanted him _._ She wanted him to trust her; she wanted him to tell her how he could be so lost. Even if she didn't understand, it didn't matter. Kristy wanted him back.

Legolas stared at her, feeling the heat of the fire on his face. She was hunched next to him and taking quick, jolting little sobs of misery. She was so upset. And here he was motionless. He did nothing. And again, he was the cause of her misery. This was exactly what angered him so! She didn't even know if she wanted to help him or not. And here he was so in need of it! It was infuriating.

But he wasn't furious now. He was tired, exhausted to the point of numbness. Yes, he didn't want to be dependent. He wanted to get home, wherever it was. He wanted that feeling of familiarity. But…he was here now, and it was time he accepted it.

Kris sniffed and held herself in her arms. She wanted to go into her room and collapse there, but she didn't deserve that. He deserved to see her. Maybe then he would know how utterly, utterly sorry she was… She wanted the floor to open up and swallow her.

"I'm sorry…"

Far below, streams of constant lights blurred back and forth and floodlights scanned the skies. He knew they were outside somewhere, but not here. The noise and chaos was gone. Wind rattled at the windowpanes. But they were safe here, warm, as if sheltered in a shielding bubble of semi-dark. He realized he was silent then because he wanted to hurt her, just like she'd hurt him. He wanted her to know what it felt like.

And he'd done that.

Legolas watched her sob with a sinking feeling of regret. Seeing her cry didn't make him happy, or satisfied…or anything else. It made him feel empty and hollow. Legolas hesitated, feeling sorry for what happened to her, for what happened to him…for everything.

He carefully lifted a hand to touch her.

"Kristine..." Legolas said softly. He gently traced her face, caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. He did it slowly, reluctantly…unsure. But he was here to stay, at least for now. He knew that. There was no use feeling anger for the only other soul he had. He felt misery rippling off of her in waves, and it made him more saddened than ever. "Come here." He whispered, and he pulled her closer.

"I'm sorry."

Legolas pressed his face into her damp hair and cradled her against his chest. And she wept harder. That was how Legolas found, unfortunately, that Kristine wasn't one of those lucky beauties who cried prettily. And as he carefully held her neck in his hands and pressed his cheek against the cool damp of her hair, Legolas smiled. He stroked it gently. She felt in his hands like a drowned mouse.

"You look terrible." Legolas said.

"W-what?"

It was satisfying to say what he wanted. No consequences. "You look dreadful, Kristine."

Kristy wiped her nose, sniffling and staring at the glitter of amusement in his dark eyes. Somehow, as fast as it came, all her feelings were sapped away in a small, empty hole. It left her feeling deflated.

"You look terrible, Kristine." He murmured softly, "…utterly terrible."

And as if she understood, she cried harder and he was glad. She needed to weep.

"You're picking on me. I know it." she hiccuped.

Legolas stared into the fire, letting her press herself against his chest. She was warm. Incredibly warm. He breathed it in, feeling it comfort and soothe him. The elf sighed. Her breathing shuddered and leveled out eventually. Kristy hugged him like a lifeline. It was what he felt from her that made the last of his anger, frustration, misery melt away. She refused to let go of him.

"I forgive you…Kristine."

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 **A/N: Well, this chapter was a little heavy…again. Sorry. But things are going to be fluffier for a while now. When Aragorn and Tauriel come into the picture…well, who can tell? But I thought for Legolas to come to terms with thing, learn English and make coherent plans to fix all this, it has to come after some weight, right?**

 **I truly hope you're enjoying so far, readers. If you are, please let me know! As well as any ways you think I could improve, too. I enjoy honest criticism, especially since this story is totally unbeta'd. Please have a good day :))**


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hello readers! So…these two parts were originially going to be posted separately, but it seemed a little clipped. Let me know if you think it's a little long this way? Anyway, I'm still updating Saturday morning's regular Hopefully, we can keep it up, my muse and I. :)) Thank you ever so much, all who took the time to review. I appreciate it.

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Kristy woke up to the feeling of warm skin against her face. She didn't move a long while, breathing it in. It felt good against her cheek. A strong heartbeat thudded against her ear and she listened to it. Outside the heat of their downy blanket, she felt bitter cold air.

Legolas leaned back in the crook of the couch, breathing gently.

 _Tick…tock…tick…_

He listened to the clock, a steady _snap...snap._ Since he woke up, hums and roars zoomed overhead outside the building. He watched them through the drapes; they had wings like steel birds. Sirens wailed in the distance. But they were muffled and didn't disturb his ears even as much as the annoying clock.

"I know you are awake." He mumbled.

Kristy cracked her eyes open. The vibration of his voice rippled against her ear; one arm draped lazily over the armrest and the other cradling her ribs.

 _Earthquakes._

And it slowly came back: the homeless shelter, finding Legolas and the police, searching, shouting and…and twenty-five flights of steps. Kristy's head was sleepy and groggy, but her body still remembered. She groaned inside: steps, miles and miles of blue-carpeted steps!

Kris took a deep breath and sighed, perplexed. _What happened next?_ Legolas took it the wrong way.

"I know because you ceased to snore." He explained, knowing she wouldn't understand him...

And Legolas glanced down.

Kristy was curled comfortably in the crook of his arm. She had her knees pulled tight to her chest and faced the wall, fast asleep until a minute ago. Her head rose and fell with every breath he took, resting her fingers around his bicep. _The electricity must be out._ The heat was off. Kris shuffled down deep in the blanket and scrunched her eyes shut. Sleep was warm and uncomplicated. Amazing. His skin smelled…fresh, like his clothes, like smoke and pines.

Nice.

"What time is it?" she mumbled.

"You know I don't understand you." He stared at the ceiling, unaware of her happiness. The hours of sleep meant he could breathe again; his eyes were clear and alert. He felt some of his old strength again. Kristy cried herself to sleep last night. Nothing else seemed to help. She insisted on staying in his arms too…and he didn't protest. It was freezing in the apartment anyway. And he wasn't used to the cold. It felt like he'd never experienced it before. Uncomfortable. Wrong. She warmed him.

"So…" he smiled lazily. His stomach felt hollow and weak. He knew what it was, by now. Hunger. "this 'change of heart' means you intend to feed me?"

That vow to accept no help from her seemed pretty stupid in morning light.

"Mm?"

"Food." he tried.

But her eyes were slowly coming into focus on the clock, blinking spots away and…instantly, she lurched upright. "Ten _o'clock_? I'm dead!"

Kris didn't have time to apologize for falling asleep on him, or for not remembering anything after that. She scrambled off the couch and pulled the blanket off him, tripped and slammed to the floor, before bolting. Corby would kill her. No…he wouldn't kill her, he'd fire her. He'd fire her until he realized no one else would put up with him. Then he'd make her listen to an hour of tirade and re-hire her.

It didn't matter. She couldn't be late for work again!

Legolas jolted at the rush of cold air on his chest and he shivered. The blanket dragged with her half-way across the floor. Still he watched her disappear from the corner of his eyes, sighing, before dragging his long legs off the coffee table. "Oh what are you shouting about now?"

"I'm late!" Kristy ran past the doorway and back, tripping and clothes flying. She bolted into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Legolas stared, blank, before shaking his head. Just _watching_ that display was exhausting.

He heaved a sigh and got up anyway, running his fingers through his hair. _Damn._ The wound in his side hurt when he stretched. But he ignored it. Instead he rolled the loose cuffs down over his hands to cover his sliced, aching palm. He didn't need Kristine feeling more guilty than she already did.

"Do you intend to feed me first?" he called after. With the way that woman was scrambling, she'd probably forget all about him and leave him hungry.

No answer.

"Or do you intend to run off and leave me to forage for myself?" he called louder. After all, whining like a child wasn't the same when no one understood you.

Then…in a daze, Kristy appeared. She shuffled into the living room wearing one boot, one glove and a coat in her arms.

"I…I forgot. It's Sunday. There's no work today."

Legolas tilted his head. Well this was good. If he interpreted it correctly, Kristine had nowhere to go now. "And," he drew out carefully, "this means you'll feed me."

"What?" Kristy sighed. "Oh… never mind. Let's just have some breakfast."

Legolas smiled.

She threw her coat down and started into the kitchen, gathering up glasses, dishes and plates. Soon there was a knock at the door.

"Can you get that, Legolas? It's probably Reiner for a last check on you before he leaves. He's going to go take care of his uncle. I hoped he would! That patch job last night was definitely not good enough."

Legolas unbolted the door at her gesture and opened it. He'd recognized the name 'Riener' with distaste; he still remembered how the doctor drugged him. But he could use a healer. His side was throbbing and he couldn't fix it himself.

But… when he swung the door open, expecting to shrivel the man with a cold glare, Legolas froze. The thing standing there was definitely not the old doctor. And a mere stare would not make her shrink.

Frizzy, red hair hovered around this…woman's face and dotted her cheeks in freckles. A rumpled dress belted around her fat waist, and she looked straight at him through pop-bottle glasses. The very air seemed to grow still, tense…vibrating with fury. Slowly…mouth open, she slid up his shoeless feet, the pants hanging low around his slender hips, and the shirt hanging open over his chest.

The game was up.

"… _Anderson_!"

Legolas jumped. The woman shouted and Legolas backed up in haste. Pumpet stalked through the doorway. He spun around, watching her stomp past in bewilderment. She was a storm of heels, fat, and fury.

Who in Eru's name summoned such a beast?

"Anderson, get out here! Get out here this instant."

Kristy appeared from the kitchen, surprised. "What? Oh…I mean, Mrs. Pumpet, what-what are you doing here?"

"What is _he_ doing here?" She pointed a meaty finger at Legolas.

She should have said something, anything really, but she didn't. She just looked between them, mouth moving like she wanted to talk and couldn't. The pitiable sight reminded Legolas of a dying fish; little squeaks and sounds that should have been words came out. A terribly awkward minute passed and she desperately tried to think of something that made sense.

"Well? I'm waiting, Anderson."

And it suddenly struck him that the situation looked… uncomfortable for them, this early in the morning. Kristy looked more than that. She was blushing furiously and her body temperature shot through the roof. She made a good attempt at hiding it, but it was obvious to Legolas…and apparently to Pumpet.

"Um, h-he's my cousin?" Kristy shuddered out a breathless smile. "He's here for a visit."

Legolas hurriedly buttoned his shirt and tied his hair back in a braid. When Pumpet wasn't looking, he tugged his pants up too. The waist of the old doctor's pants were a little loose.

"Really?" she turned around, glaring at Legolas. He snapped his hands down. "You expect me to believe… _this_ is your cousin?"

Kristy laughed like a squeak. "What do you mean? Of course. Um, why not?"

And then, Pumpet edged closer, staring up at him suspiciously. Legolas leaned away. The woman vaguely resembled a hunter stalking prey. "If he's your _cousin,_ what's his name then?"

"Uh…Legolas."

"That's not a name."

Kristy threw her hands up. "Well of course it is. It's Yiddish. My mother came from the old country, and her sister stayed there until she had him. Legolas is here for a visit and I'm, well, putting him up for a little bit."

"Little bit, huh? Well, I hope that doesn't mean a second resident in the apartment, Anderson. Because if it is, you-"

"It's not!" Kristy said hurriedly. "It's not. I swear."

"Good." Pumpet sniffed, shuffling back a little. She lifted her pointed nose and looked about. "Well…I just came down to tell you the electricity's back. That… _whatever_ it was last night, knocked down every power plant in the area. So don't you bring up that clause in the lease, about power being available and-"

"I wasn't planning to!" Kristy broke in. "Don't worry, and thanks. Thanks very much for telling me."

"Hm." Pumpet muttered, looking between them. Legolas passed a look over her head that said ' _Why_ in Eru's name is this thing here?'

Kristine just shook her head.

"Alright." the landlady muttered, "You better not be lying to me. I have better things to do then hang around here."

"Don't let us keep you." Kristy agreed quickly. The landlady let herself be hurried out, looking back the whole way.

"What? Why? What are you trying to get rid of me for? _Mischief_? 'Cause believe me Anderson, the lease says-"

"I _know_ what the lease says!" Kristy said through the threshold, "I'm not breaking it." and she shut the door.

Silence.

"Please tell me that is not blood kin of yours." Legolas said in utter disbelief. Kristy just turned around, before dropping her head wearily against the door.

"Meet my landlady." she grinned. "And I don't think she likes you."

Legolas raised an eyebrow, before gesturing to the kitchen. Kristy took his meaning.

"Alright." She sighed. "Food it is."

She made him pancakes and a meat amulet for breakfast. It took only one plateful for all thoughts of Pumpet to fade, Kristy found as she watched Legolas.

He ate whole-heartedly after having nothing for an entire twelve hours. Kristy almost smiled. He was sleeping during most of those hours. Still, it was good to see him strong again, and enthusiastic about anything really. He regarded most everyday things around him with skepticism…and more than a little suspicion. At least he trusted her cooking.

"Juice as you ordered, sahib." Kristy set it down. She didn't bother trying to give him milk. "And more eggs."

Legolas refused to even taste the white liquid, and she had a feeling he considered it 'baby food,' judging by the distasteful sniff he gave it. Either that, or he grew up with warm milk and hated it ever since...like cheap, cafeteria peanut butter. He liked fruit juice well enough though, and water more than that.

"Um…So, I was thinking you could write down some of your language for me?" Kristy sat down opposite, pen and paper in hand. The dishes were in the sink, dirty but soaking. And Legolas chewed, looking at her. "I could google it. You know, try to find out what language you're speaking."

Legolas raised an eyebrow, fork in hand.

"You know, write?" Kristy shoved the paper towards him. "Write something, anything."

Legolas took the pen, wiped his mouth deliberately with a napkin, before proceeding to write, _Why do you shove things at me and expect me to understand you? Just because you repeat your words over and over, does not mean you make any more sense than before._

Kristy looked at the paper he pushed back at her. Legolas smiled in satisfaction. "What you expect to do with it, I don't know. But I tell you this: I doubt you read Sindarin, Kristine."

One look and she scrunched her nose in disappointment. "I don't think that's going to help any, Legolas. I don't even recognize the letters." Nonetheless, Kristy brought up google and thought a long minute. "Legolas…Legolas." Suddenly, she brightened up and fingers flew. "I'll look up your name and see what language its origin comes from!"

A long moment later, Legolas watched in silent expectation as her face fell.

"It doesn't come up with anything. Just a lot of references to some mythical character in a 'Lord of the Rings'." she paused, looking up. "Sound familiar? Lord of the Rings? No…I didn't think so."

Legolas saw the confusion passing over her face, so he pushed his food aside and slid into the next chair where he could look over her shoulder. "What are you doing? Why do you want my words?"

She didn't answer, but flipped from page to page…pictures, images, text and different artists' depictions of some 'elf' named Legolas of Mirkwood. "This doesn't make sense. Maybe I'm spelling it wrong, huh?"

Legolas just stared at the passing images…one to the next: trees, people, faces and battles. And suddenly, he grabbed the chair and burst out. "The White City!"

Kristy jumped at his voice in her ear. "What? What did you say?"

Legolas eagerly grabbed the phone from her fingers. "Minas Tirith." he pointed at the picture, hoping desperately she'd understand. He remembered that city! Out of the sea of jumbled memories floating back into his head, it stuck out in his mind. He'd had to study it as an elfling; he remembered pictures and paintings. "I _know_ this city." he insisted.

"Okay…something's familiar. The picture? You know who painted it?"

But it was hopeless. She didn't know what he was doing. Legolas was swiping his inexperienced fingers frantically through the photos, looking for more things. And one glued his attention to the screen completely. Out of the blue… Legolas froze.

This was- ..this was too good to be true.

"What is it?" Kristy shook his arm. He didn't pay any attention.

Legolas just stared at the words…the clumsy words in his own tongue that were spelled only a little wrong, then the text on the other side. He recognized almost all the letters. They were Westron, the language of men and the people of Laketown. It was some kind of Sindarin…to something, key. Maybe the language Kristine spoke.

Still, as he read, the phrases were ridiculous and insulting mostly. Either that or impractical. 'You are hideous. Hold this for me. Don't talk to strangers.' He had to find something he could read…see if it made sense to her. And then he found a short, simple phrase he thought he could pronounce.

"S-leep," he murmured carefully. The letters were arranged a little oddly, but he managed to whisper, "…now."

Kris blinked. "What?"

Legolas looked up, hoping he didn't mispronounce the words and offend her. "S-sleep now…and sweet dreams?"

Kristy almost giggled, but she just choked on her own happy bubble. "Yes! I…I mean, _yes._ I understand you. I understand you!"

Legolas laughed, triumphant at last. He wasn't sure which words meant which in his own tongue, but it didn't matter.

"But that's elvish!"

Legolad didn't care. "I need more. More words, this tongue…I must learn it!"

Kristy grabbed the table, unable to believe it. _He could talk to her._ She covered her eyes and jiggled up and down, trying desperately to think. She _wasn't_ mad! He _could_ talk to her. And he _could_ speak elvish…whatever that was. Legolas was still laughing, a sound so clear and beautiful it made her want to sing.

But for both their ears, she didn't.

"B-but…I mean, wait. Legolas!" She dove and grabbed both of his shoulders. He just grinned at her, flashing dimples that she'd never seen before. "This is not right. It can't be! It says this is _Sindarin_ _elvish._ You know it _? That's_ the language you know? What are you, some kind of nut?"

Legolas couldn't be bothered with what she was trying to say. He just grabbed her hands off of him, squeezed them, and pushed her away.

"Not now."

Legolas ran through the words and images, repeating them over and over to himself. The words in his language made sense… He could learn this. He knew three languages, each in two different dialects. Somehow, he still knew them, even after all that happened to him.

 _What's one more?_

And finally, Kristy began to help him. _What was the use in sanity?_ Crazy was crazy, but whatever worked worked.

She brought out her laptop.

"Here, use this. The screen's bigger."

She copied off dozens and dozens of phrases and common words in this 'Sindarin' language. The rest of the morning, Legolas sat at the table muttering to himself… And Kristy browsed the news, looking for what happened last night. Legolas would show her a difficult word and she'd pronounce it for him, but for the most part, he could piece out the syllables remarkably well. She could hear what he was saying…and it made her feel she was a little less mad for getting into all of this.

"Oh…oh wow." She whispered a few hours later. It was around noon, and Legolas was skimming through a Sindarin/English dictionary. In his eagerness, he didn't even have time to wonder at the 'PC'. It was magic, plain and simple.

Now Kristy sat straight in her chair. Papers and pens scattered the table and the carpet. Legolas was cross-legged on the floor, copying words to help himself remember. Now he looked at her from overtop a stack of notebooks.

"…L-legolas?"

He looked more intensely. "What is it?"

"I," Kristy drew in a breath. "I-I don't think that was just a storm, last night."

Legolas didn't understand. So Kristy grabbed the laptop from him and did the word search for what she needed. They didn't make much sense, and Legolas grimaced when she butchered his language to pieces. So she just pointed to the word and Legolas read the important parts of what a certain article read.

"It says they've been trying to keep it under wraps, to begin with." She started. "They didn't know what it was, and when these storms started striking down up north, they sealed off the area and kept the media out. Now _obviously_ they can't do that. But…but what this one scientist says…"

Kristy leaned forward.

"Oh, this is crazy. But legends of 'storms of the gods' and 'strangers' have been recorded all through _history._ It says every few hundred years, these strangers of the gods—the ancient Aztecs called them—could come from any time, any place and tell them the future, of different times and things that they've never heard of."

Then Kristy sat even stiffer in her chair, if possible. "Legolas…Legolas they're looking for you!" she blurted. "The police and-and the army, who they were looking for all this time, it's you! I-I mean…people _like_ you. People came through the storms!"

Then, she hurried to explain…more to herself than him. Legolas only caught the words she hurriedly searched for in the dictionary.

As it turned out, Haley's comet has a flight path of passing Earth every 76 years. Its orbit is a long oval, and one of these brings it dangerously close to the sun. Every time these storms have been recorded, they coincide with a passing of the comet.

" _But,_ " she said, concentrating. "…even though the comet passes every 76 years, the season of the storms are random. 239 B.C., according to the European space agency, was the first time the comet was recorded by Chinese astronomers mapping its passage in the Shih Chi and Wen Hsien Chronicles. It was also the first recorded storm. Their theory now is that once every who-knows-how-many-times the comet swings around the sun, a solar flare appears at the same time, and the comet passes through.

"They're not sure, but it seems the power-enough to fuel the entire world's energy consumption for a year-" Kristy paused, thinking about that. "Wow…that's a lot. Anyway, combined with the intense speed of the comet, it's enough to ripple, or even tear bits of space. Isaac Newton's Bent Space Theory, that says space is really like a woven sheet that can be bent and broken, really is true."

"The massive charge eventually dissipates into Earth's atmosphere. But until then, it can focus and concentrate in any given place. That's what the storms are, bolts of solar energy." Kristy half-laughed, a little sick. "You're lucky you weren't dropped into the Arctic ocean, Legolas."

He blinked at her.

"The FBI are said to be involved, and looking for anyone and anything that has been caught in these 'rips'. They already have some, and they say the general populace can identify them by these people being 'dangerous, disoriented, without reason and generally violent'. These storms are spreading, and they've already closed off the borders, in and out, until the 'crisis' is under control."

Kristy couldn't even begin to explain any of that to Legolas…Oh, who was she kidding? She couldn't herself.

"Legolas, they can't find you." Kristy breathed. "It doesn't matter if any of this is true. They _can't_ find you."

Somewhere in the murky place that was common sense, she had the most insistent feeling that whatever they were doing to the people they found…it wasn't good. Legolas wouldn't be a guinea pig. Not if she could help it.

"You're not dangerous, and you're not violent either." She said, slowly closing the screen and staring at the wall. Legolas was mulling over what he could make out from Kristine…and it wasn't very much.

But the more she thought about it, the longer it sunk in, the more she was sure. "The FBI and their greedy scientists, plastic gloves and test machines aren't going to get at you." Kristy looked over, staring into the cool blue depths of his eyes. They stared at her, or something near her, very quiet and very solemn.

Gone was Legolas' joy at learning English, and the thought of finally communicating properly. He was in trouble, serious trouble.

"We're going to get you home Legolas," She muttered finally. "…wherever that is. Somehow, someway, I promise."

. . . . . .

That afternoon, Legolas sat as still as possible in the passenger seat. Kris was driving. He wanted to fidget inside the steel beast, feeling the cold city wind blow through his hair, but he wouldn't be parted from her laptop. It was his livelihood. It was how he could communicate with this world.

Outside, the city was relatively undamaged from the ravages of the storms. It was better here; others weren't so lucky. Pictures spattered the news of buildings crunched and shaken to the ground…children in dusty rubble and flooding streets. Fewer people walked the streets. The weight of fear hung in the air still, stank and heavy, yet cold. Bright sun shone from white clouds.

"So, we'll get you stitched up properly…" she was saying as they pulled to a stop, the windows rolled down. Hot air purred from the heater and warmed his skin. He felt disengaged from it all, looking out at the piles of broken rubble and glass buildings. They couldn't touch him here…not yet. He felt unreasonably safe, sitting back in the heated leather seat.

"…and then we get you some clothes and stuff. You know, whatever you need. Toothbrush, more clothes, things like that. I don't know how long you're going to be staying."

Legolas didn't look. "I would appreciate it if you'd refrain from talking unless you care to show me what it is you want, Kristine."

This mornings' events made him feel unsettled. Knowing for certain that Kristine's leaders were searching for people like him…to what end? He didn't know. He wasn't willing to find out. But he didn't like it.

The red light was a long one, so Kristy sighed, flipping open the lid of her PC. Legolas steadied it for her and she did a word search for 'healer,' 'trade' and then 'clothes'.

"You intend to buy me…things." Legolas said. She thankfully didn't mangle his native tongue again. "I see."

"But we still need to find out where you come from. All we know now is you speak some weird Sindarin language, and don't know English. So…" she said as the light turned, sorting it out in her own mind. "…as soon as we get your stuff and get you stitched up, we can find out what language you grew up with. Then we'll know where you're from. Right?"

Up ahead, a squad of army trucks rumbled past in green and brown camouflage.

Marshal law had been declared. Factories were up and arms over it, as the entire third shift of any business would have to stop, but a curfew was set from five o'clock in the morning, to eleven o'clock at night. She assumed it was to help with rioting…either that or finding the confused souls 'injured by the storms', so said the police bulletins.

It was insane, but she believed the scientists instead.

If Legolas really was from a different place or…or time, it would make better sense than he'd suddenly been hit by lightning and spoke a different language. She refused to believe he was lying, either. There was intensity in his eyes. They burned truth with every word he spoke.

"Try not to say anything, in the hospital if you can." Kristy said as she parked as close as possible to the entrance. The lot was full to bursting, and so were the sides for blocks down the street. No one paid attention to the 'no parking' signs.

" _What_ _?_ " he slammed the door shut and stepped onto the sidewalk.

Kristy sighed, hitting her head in frustration. "I'm sorry. Just…" she thought about it, before shutting her mouth tight, pointing at it, and then motioning to Legolas. "You stay quiet. Okay?"

Legolas frowned. "Very well."

She shrugged, "I'm sorry. I just don't want any awkward questions coming up; I can't answer them! They probably have the whole building watched like a hawk."

They started down the sidewalk. Cold wind curled his breath and frosted his hair.

"Besides," she threw a sidelong glance. "you already stick out, you know…flaxen hair and all? You look like a supermodel."

Legolas wasn't sure what she said, but he glared anyway. Something in her teasing smile made him suspicious…

The hospital was a mass of glass and steel. Ambulances were a steady stream in and out of the parking lot. People were everywhere, some bandaged and coming out, others limping inside.

Past the doors though…Kristy almost gasped in surprise. The emergency waiting room was filled to bursting. There weren't any empty seats. People were everywhere…pushing, peering, straining at the desk. Nurses were hurrying everywhere, shouting out names over the din. Two uniformed police were at both halls leading into the rest of the hospital, barring the way. Children were curled up on the floor, heads in their mothers' laps and sleeping. Bumps and scratches were being treated in the halls where they could by exhausted doctors and harried urses.

Legolas took one look…and he turned around.

"No." He shoved the glass door open and was already half-way out before she could protest.

"Legolas, wait!" Kristy grabbed his coat to try and stop him, but it dragged her out the door with him. It slammed shut behind them, and she shivered at the cold blast of air. Damn, he was strong! "Wait. Wait! What are you doing? You need stitches!"

"Kristine _,_ don't even _think_ of it." Legolas spun around to face her, narrowing his eyes. "I need nothing from them. I will stitch it _myself_ , if need be. Don't think it would be the first time."

"Please, Legolas…" she pleaded. "Help me out here. W-we _have_ to stay. Just cooperate. Please?"

Legolas stared at her, torn. If he were honest with himself, he knew it was the sight of the guards near the exits that upset him. He remembered them. They would hunt him if they only knew. They could tell right away what he was, if they had eyes to see. He was different. He didn't belong here, and everyone knew it…even Kristine.

On the streets, he remembered their shouts, demanding things he didn't have. They had road-blocks and steel that exploded, wailing sirens. In there with two of them was the _last_ place he wanted to be.

"Please, Legolas?" she whispered softly, wanting to reach up and touch him. But she didn't dare. And suddenly the memory of him fighting off those four men and their knives was very real. He looked so angry…so upset. Kristy wouldn't admit it, but that look in his eyes scared her. He was afraid and dangerous.

"You _know_ I won't tell them anything." She insisted, trying to make him see. Legolas just stared at her, snared in indecision. "Let's just get in, get out, and have it over with. Please?"

And finally, Legolas gave in. He scrunched his brows together and rubbed his forehead, drawing a breath of cold air through his teeth. And he relented. "Alright."

When they went back in, it didn't seem quite so loud or as hectic as before. They pushed and wove their way through to the desk, Legolas' arms clearing the way for the smaller woman. The nurse at the desk was harried and tired, scribbling away and trying to ignore the protesting shouts. The line was too slow.

"My friend needs stitches...o-or something. He was knifed last night, and he needs a doctor." Kristy said to the woman, leaning over the counter. "Is there someone I can go to?"

"Fill out the form and it's a hundred dollars cash payment." She said. "The hospital will send you a bill later. If you don't have the money, take this form and-"

"I have it." Kristy interrupted. "I have it, don't worry."

It was too late. The nurse had no more time. She was up and helping an ambulance team roll a cart through the emergency doors. It looked like a roof had fallen in on the poor man they brought in. He was just one of many. Kristy reluctantly took the paper pushed at her.

"Well, where should I have them send it?" she whispered fiercely quiet. "I don't want them having your name…or mine, for that matter. What if someone recognizes you?" Kristy shook her head, before putting down the address of a P.O. box. It belonged to a friend, but she was sure she'd let her use it. "Alright, I'm Leah. Remember not to call me Kristine, anymore. You're…"

Legolas glanced from her to the name she wrote down, and he guessed. "Legolas?"

"No, a different name." Kristy shuffled to the edge of the room and stood against the wall. It still wasn't very private, but it was the quietest place in the room. She shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the open eyes and ears. "How 'bout Bob?" she whispered.

Legolas wrinkled his nose.

"Um…Pete? Rudolph?"

"Are these names you speak of or food?" Legolas shot back. The people made him nervous, but they were too busy to listen.

"Okay, okay." She took his disapproving frown as a 'no'. "How about…how about Luke?"

"Luke..." Legolas chewed on the word. _Oh, what did it matter?_ His side was beginning to ache badly where she'd bandaged it, and despite his earlier protests, he didn't want to sew it himself. So he nodded in agreement. At least it was a name he had heard before; a merchant in Laketown went by the name of Luke. It was amazing what random things were coming back to him. More and more, every day they flooded in.

It was refreshing, like a gust of warmth in the snow.

"Luke." He repeated.

Kristy wrote it down, paper flat on the wall. "If I wanted to be a Star Wars princess, I'd say Luke Skywalker. But you can be…I don't know, Luke Smith. Unoriginal, but fair."

"Luke Smith." Legolas thought about it, folding his arms and staring through the moving people, before half-smirking. "Unappealing, Kristine."

She just smiled a little, and the rest of the form was easier.

Then Legolas was suddenly grinning to himself in the queerest way. It made her want to stare at it. He was so serious, frightening almost. But sometimes, like now, he just looked so… _boyish_. It was like he took unreasonable delight in lying. Maybe because he knew there were such powerful people after souls like him…and the worst he'd done is lie about his name.

Three hours later, Legolas was cross-legged on the floor, back against the wall and studying English. Legs passed back and forth in a blur, filling his peripheral vision in a constant, chaotic hum. The room never seemed to empty, only shift and change… But he could block it out now.

For an hour or so, Kristine helped him study the words. Then she was curled up in the corner with her legs against her chest, fast asleep.

It didn't matter. Legolas could read the strange letters now. It was more difficult than Westron, yes, but the letters were almost the same. He could pronounce them, even if he didn't know what they meant.

"Luke Smith!" A nurse called, trying to see over the heads bobbing back and forth. "Luke Smith, _next_!"

Legolas snapped his head up on the second shout, before reaching over and touching Kristine. Her head was on her knees.

"Kristine…wake up." He hissed. She barely even stirred, so he took her arm and shook her. "It is time!"

And Kristy jolted up with a suffocated yelp.

"In here." The nurse gestured, leading them down the hall and into a semi-secluded hospital room. Kristy stumbled in, scrubbed her eyes in the light. It made her blink like an owl. A glass window looked out over the hospital grounds. The walls were creamy white, sterile.

"Alright Luke…Smith, where does it hurt?" the nurse forced a smile. But there was only concern in her eyes. Like everybody else, she didn't look like she slept all night.

"Um…he was cut with jack-knives last night." Kristy supplied. "Luke doesn't speak English."

The nurse glanced over. "Oh? All right…Let me see then."

She took care of his hands first. Legolas' left palm, where he'd grabbed the blade needed six stitches. She seemed more worried with the bloody gash raked across his ribs.

"I'll bet this hurt." She said with practiced detachment. It was long and ugly. The nurse touched it gently, and Legolas grit his teeth, refusing to flinch.

So Legolas stripped to the waist and let the nurse do her work. His side hurt too much to worry about feeling prudish. Kristy just flushed a darker color and turned around, staring out the windows.

"This'll be a few minutes…"

Legolas shivered in the cool air, feeling the needle acutely every time it slipped through his skin. She'd injected him with something…pain killer, probably, but it only dulled the sting.

It didn't matter. He'd endured worse.

"I'm just going to run a test or two on this blood." The nurse spoke up, glancing to Kristy. Legolas sat at the end of the bed. The plastic, Kristine called it, was hard and uncomfortable. It made him feel on display. The room looked more for recovery than treatment though; the nurse brought in her equipment from somewhere else. "There could have been rust or any number of contaminants on that knife, alright? I'll just be a minute."

"Kay." Kristy nodded quickly.

Once the nurse slipped out and the door wheezed shut, the voices from outside were muffled again. Kristy glanced surreptitiously over her shoulder.

"Does it…feel alright?"

Legolas looked up. _She was worried_. And so he nodded once.

Kristy stared at the floor. "Sorry about dragging you in here." She mumbled, studying the tops of her boots. "…but I don't want you to die of blood poisoning or something." Kristy smiled a little sickly. "I…I don't think I could take that."

Legolas didn't answer.

"Um, I already told you I was sorry…right?" she spoke up after a few minutes. Kristy peered at him cautiously, as if not looking directly at him made him feel more decent.

Legolas just sighed.

"I am you know." She stared at him. Legolas may only know a few English words, but by now, he had to have that one. She'd said it so many times, in her own head and aloud, it was sickening. She just kept seeing the blood soaked rags and…four men in that alley, police, fists and more blood. He was so alone and yet it was like he didn't know it, like he would take care of himself no matter what. Like he had a reason to live and he would fight for it.

"F-for doing that to you…" she whispered. "I didn't mean it. I-I didn't think that would happen."

"Come here, Kristine." Legolas beckoned with his chin. She just hovered uncomfortably, still lingering around the floor. "Come _here_." he insisted, but she only looked up half way, eyeing his nakedness warily.

Then, Legolas smiled.

The girl was probably remembering his reaction to waking up shirtless in her bed, and didn't want a repeat. Legolas sighed, feeling a tinge of regret for being so suspicious that morning, but it was hardly his fault. He'd remembered nothing at all, then, and he knew even less about this woman than he did now.

"I…I guess it looks worse than it feels?" Kristy hedged over. She gave into the sick need to stare at the black-stitched gash.

"If you understood me, I would not say it, Kristine. But the truth is that the pain is…acute." Legolas said honestly.

Kristy just fidgeted with her hands. Legolas tilted an eyebrow. Whatever it was that made her so queasy looking, it must be guilt.

"You know," he finally said quietly, "it is not… _entirely_ your fault that this happened, Kristine." Legolas tilted his head. She risked a look up, swallowing, and she found his eyes laughing.

 _Laughing?_ What did he have to laugh about? He was flayed open like a gutted fish, stitched back together with a needle and thread, and he was _laughing_! It was more quiet, pained mirth glittering in his eyes…but it was still out of place. He should be mad, or upset. _Something_.

"What?"

And Legolas grinned tightly. "Your face might be worth some of this Kristine, if you saw yourself."

"What are you talking about?" she insisted more adamantly. "And stop smiling! It-it's _unnatural_. I _know_ it hurts, and I know it's my fault. Alright? You don't have to pretend."

She just stood there, hands limp at her sides and half-covered in the sleeves of her shirt. Legolas sighed, before touching the tips of her fingers. She drew back and looked away before he could.

"I said that I forgive you, Kristine. Is that not enough?"

She just stared at the floor.

"Give me that…thing." He said suddenly, ignoring the twinge in his side. He refused to let this go on any longer. Legolas saw the outline of her phone in her pocket, and he beckoned insistently. "Give it to me."

Kristy looked between him and her pocket an instant, feeling a little disoriented, before turning it on and passing it to him, confused. The Sindarin/English dictionary was still up. Legolas had some trouble navigating it, but all morning using it helped.

Legolas already knew 'I', and he knew 'you'. They were some of the first words he looked for. So…when he found the last one he needed, mulled it around in his head a moment, he set the phone down and looked up at her.

The floor must be very interesting.

"Kristine…" he said very clearly, being sure the words sounded right in his own head. Then, he said quietly in English. "I forgive you."

She snapped her head up. "What?"

"I forgive you." He said simply, as if it was obvious. She looked almost wildly over his face, as if she couldn't believe the words came out of his mouth.

"Y-you mean…" she blinked, shifting to face him. "Really? You mean… Do you even know what forgive means?"

The jumble of words confused Legolas a moment, but he just nodded. "I forgive you." _What else could he do?_ And suddenly, she gasped a breath and looked ready to cry. She didn't though…to Legolas' relief.

Or not.

She smiled and hugged him instead. Instantly, Legolas hissed in pain at the jolt when she hit him, throwing her arms around his neck in glee. It shot up his spine and he almost doubled over.

"Thank you- I…I mean sorry!" she jumped back almost as fast, cringing at Legolas' reaction. He clutched his side, before forcing the pain down, nodding. It hadn't ripped the stitches, only tugged them a little.

"I'm sorry!"

"It…it is all right." He lifted a hand, palm out. He wasn't sure if it was consoling or keeping her back. Kristy stared angrily at her hands like offending items. "Tis alright, Kristine."

She just nodded slightly, biting her lip so hard he could see the flinch. Seeing the dried blood, the horrid black stitches under his arm…it was sorrow all over again.

"Never mind, truly." He insisted, hoping he didn't ruin the progress he made. She looked down, looking at her hands with nothing short of fury. But it was naught but kitten fury.

Legolas forced himself to smile easier, and he beckoned. "Come back. It is alright."

She hesitated a long minute, looking at his expression, before reluctantly shuffling closer. He wanted to cringe…but he didn't. Legolas did not cringe to anyone, much less a tiny human female who only wanted to hug him. She hurt him and she wanted to make it right.

More carefully than a sparrow nestling her feathers against a single, tear-drop egg, she slipped onto the plastic beside him, drawing her legs up beside. She reached up and sorrowfully touched his neck. Her fingerless gloves were soft and he felt her heart race through her hands. Legolas stared at something on the wall, unable to feel comfortable shifting closer…yet he didn't want to push her away, either. That would hurt her feelings.

So he sat still. He didn't move a single, tense muscle and above all, he did not look at her.

But Legolas was worried for nothing.

Kristy cupped his neck in her hands and hugged the side of his face with hers…much more carefully than she had to. He almost smiled. Her breathing was fast and so shallow that it wasn't enough. She was painfully nervous and she was going to drop away, flushed and graceless.

"You are one part sparrow. Do you know that, Kristine?" he smiled slightly and dropped his head. It let her hold his face in her velvety gloves and her fingers touched his cheek. He could have kissed her if he wanted to…but he didn't. He wanted to let her feel him…He wanted to feel her. He shut his eyes and felt her shallow breaths even out, slow.

And then, he knew why he felt so very lonely, why he felt like he was looking at the world through a wall of glass. He could not feel.

Kristy's spirit would be warm right now. It would be her _fea._ So close, she could bask in his essence. He'd let her brush his spirit, and he would not need to let her hug him like this. The feeling was not unpleasant, of course... Kristine was warm and her fingers made his heart beat harder in his chest; her skin smelled faintly of lilac that tingled on the back of his tongue. He slid his face down hers and inhaled deeply, breathing it in. Gods…she smelled good.

But it was worthless and inadequate. It wasn't what he wanted. There was all of this…missing. It was her spirit that he should be feeling, and whatever happened to him, becoming human maybe, it was no longer possible. It left him feeling empty and even a little angry.

And then, a timid whisper brushed all of that away.

"Legolas...?"

He dragged himself out of the lowly, self-deprecating thoughts and focused on her as she looked up at him. Kristine was oblivious to his turmoil. She thought his pain was a scratch. She thought it was not remembering, when in reality it was _remembering_ that killed him. He was starting to remember just how much he'd lost, how much he wanted all of it back.

He remembered what it was like to have himself, all that was his, and now have none of it. He was taken from his world and thrown into this one, empty and a shallow, miserable husk of what he was. A part of him knew it wasn't completely true, but that didn't matter…

It's what he felt like.

And then, Kristine pulled back and whispered something that he didn't understand. She was murmuring things—he had no idea what—and gently touching the stitches on the meat of his palm. And he cursed, dragging himself out of the miserable thoughts.

He may have lost everything…but at least he gained something. She was right in front of him, and playing innocently with his fingertips. He stared at her as she talked, wondered how he was lucky enough to have such a strange little thing amongst all this…nothingness.

"- Kristine." Legolas interrupted, and she looked up with a start, glancing over his face.

"Um…what?"

Legolas studied her carefully, the fringe of hair pushed behind her ears. He looked into her blue-green eyes, eyes that were easy to laugh and even easier to frown. She didn't have much for a chin.. but a strong, smooth jaw. Her gentle mouth twitched.

And he couldn't help but smile as he murmured. "Thank you."

"F-for…for what?"

It was good Legolas couldn't explain even if he wanted to. He didn't know the words in English or his own tongue. Her face was so close he could feel the brush of her breathing; he could feel the tingle of her skin.

Legolas merely shrugged, smiling slightly, and it was just a brief moment of happiness.

The moment was cut short.

The nurse came back in, finished up with his side…and then paused. "Uh…Mr. Smith, there seems to be no complications. However the full test results will be back in a few days, with all these patients maybe a few weeks. They will be sent to your address, along with the bill, and the doctor's instructions if anything turns up."

Kristy nodded. "Kay… Thank you."

The waiting room was as full as ever, confused, harried…and Legolas took her hand, laced and locked their fingers together. He pulled her through the crowd and out the exit. If he saw the police's eyes watching him as he went, he didn't show it. The cold air hit her brutally outside, but all Kristy felt was the tingling warmth of his skin. Kristy felt it and she couldn't help remembering the desperate fingers clinging to hers in the rain. She remembered his fear and confusion that first day. It was impossible to believe it was barely two weeks ago. Legolas looked up at the sky, pulling her along and he leant her new-found strength.

He wasn't that person anymore.

Legolas was strong. He was a fighter. He was a leader. He'd survive and flourish.

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Please enjoy your day readers. :)


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Forgive me for skipping the last update time, readers. But you wouldn't be so angry if you knew some of the terrible problems real life is throwing my way!

Between moving, getting a new job and finishing classes…it's all just gotta come first. I'll try to update as regularly as possible in the future, probably every two weeks or so. But please, bear with me. The next few months, especially the next one or two are looking tipsy. So…here are two chapters (or one long one; I may combine them later) to help make up for it.

As always, thank you for your reviews Raider-K, melodicechoes (for not reviewing in emojis, especially;), CalistaLegaci, jshaw0624, Trich, REMdream, Andy the willow tree, Scylla's revenge, Woman of Letters, wickedGreene13, , SparkyTAS, dreamer, Woman of Letters, Amateur Bacon Cook, WyomingCowboy15, middleagemanager…and guests that I couldn't answer. I love them all. :)

. . . . .

The Gift

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"Um…no. Definitely not."

"Why do I bother trying it if you're just going to veto it, Kristine?" Legolas snapped.

"I'm sorry. You're just not the baseball cap type!" she laughed. "We're trying to get you to fit in, not stand out more. The coat's alright, just-just _not_ the cap."

Legolas stood wearily in the threshold of the dressing room. He refused to look in the mirror at all; it hurt too much. He'd never imagined shopping could be like this! To think all these years, Legolas managed to think females went marketing by walking straight to what they needed, buying one or two of it, and heading sensibly home. Oh, how he was wrong!

Kristy never stopped. She just shopped…and shopped…and shopped until he had more than he knew what to do with.

Legolas stared out at the mall cafeteria, exhausted.

"…um, and I'm really not sure how it works." Kristy was in the booth next to him, twirling a straw round and round her empty glass.

The woman was trying to explain the concept of an 'escalator' to him. Legolas refused to go anywhere near them, so they had to shop on the ground floor.

"But there's really nothing to be afraid of. Well, unless you catch your hair in the rail like I did." she half-smiled. "Then they're pretty scary. But, you know, other than that."

"Are we finished yet?" he sighed, casting his eyes sidelong. At this rate, the woman would never think they had enough. It was ridiculous. He needed a pair of boots, another clean shirt, trousers…a hair comb maybe. That was all!

"Come on, it's not so bad." She patted his arm, sliding out of the seat and looking into his weary eyes. "You have to have these things, you know."

Legolas curled over and put his face in his hands, took a deep breath, steeling himself. He leaned on the tabletop, dreading more music from the loudspeakers, words he didn't understand, clacking heels… all of _this_ , before carefully, Kristy put her hand on his head. He started at the contact, and she almost drew away, but not quite.

"I know you're tired." she said softly. "I am too, but we're almost done. Really."

Legolas' side was beginning to ache again and he felt queasy, light-headed. She gave him a moment, and by the time the hour was up, finished the last of the shopping.

"I'm sorry it took so long." She said as she opened the door and helped load the bags into the back seat. A brisk, cold wind blew, and it seemed unfair that she bought and he carried. But then again, he couldn't drive and she could.

Legolas wasn't fond of walking, especially at night.

"If that is supposed to be comforting Kristine, don't bother." He sighed, dropping wearily into the passenger seat. Yellow parking lamps shattered the black, crowded lot and reflected off the white lines. It glowed on his face through the tinted windows, and he was too tired even to feel nervous in the steel beast. Driving around in it, swerving and honking through an edgy and still frightened city all day dragged every scrap out of him.

"Well," she slammed the door shut. "If you're getting hungry, I can always microwave something before I leave."

Legolas blinked. Leaving…and hungry in the same sentence? What did they have to do with each other? "I assume you mean we're leavingto eat?" he guessed.

"I have to run down to my sisters' tonight." she explained without really explaining. "But don't worry, I'll make sure you get some food first."

Legolas just frowned.

It was eight-thirty by the time they were 'home'.

Darkness fell and the stars were out, cool and gleaming in the night sky. It was just the same day, but amazingly, there were already words around him that Legolas understood. Bits and pieces of the phrases and letters he'd crammed into memory popped out at him everywhere. Conversation, shouts across the parking lot… "hello, food, restroom, hungry".

In the apartment, Legolas collapsed on the couch. Kristine was worried for his injuries and insisted that he didn't walk very much, but it didn't matter. The new sights, sounds and smells, catching bits and snippets of conversation in a jumbled world, it was exhausting.

Kristy slid a panel open and dropped the bags in a closet. "Are you all right?" she asked wearily. He was crashed face-down in the leather cushions like a dead body. "…Legolas?"

He groaned.

Kris just smiled, before she came over and patted his arm, trying to shake him awake. "Legolas…I'll get you some food and then I have to leave. Okay?"

Legolas dragged his head up. "Leave?" he repeated.

"Yeah. Me…" she pointed to herself. "I'm leaving. I'll be gone a couple hours or so, okay?"

He thought about it. Kristy was leaving…again. _Nothing new._ Well at least this time, she left him in her apartment instead of a homeless shelter. No. The feeling wasn't quite the same.

"Very well." he muttered, dropping his head again and staring at her from one eye. His entire body felt limp, like every last thread of energy was sapped out of him, leaving a dry, empty husk. "You do not look safe to operate that beast, Kristine." He muttered. She was tired too; it was obvious and he saw it.

"Yeah well…" she said nondescriptly, not quite sure what he meant by that look, before gesturing. "Come on. I'll show you where you can throw these pillows when you go to bed."

Legolas reluctantly got up and watched her unravel the couch; he didn't bother feeling suspicious. It was just another oddity. At least this was of some use to him. The couch turned into a real bed. Kristy trudged out of her room with sheets and a blanket, helped him make the bed, before heaving it back in on itself.

"There. All clean." She looked up and Legolas smiled. Even that was weak.

It was just a few minutes later that she set a plate of food out for him, poured him a drink…and left. He was all alone. It was so quiet. Not the kind of quiet that he could listen to, or feel at peace in. Legolas looked around. It was a ticking, whirring, humming quiet. And it was cold.

But then Legolas sat down on the carpet, cross-legged against a warm vent. It breathed on his back; he slowly rubbed his fingers. Warmth enveloped him from the grate and Legolas basked in it. It felt good. This place wasn't really so bad.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

"Laura?"

No answer.

Kristy glanced around the porch in the dark, shuffling uncomfortably. The doorbell didn't work.

The moon threw long shadows down the lawn. Silence, eerie silence brushed the dark and tickled wind chimes in the trees…made them swing and ding in the night. She heard a shout, echoes, a car motor starting up.

The door was unlocked.

"Um, Laura?" Kristy peered inside, cracking the latch open. All was dark, except the kitchen light and…and barking. That was Shenzie. "I came like I said I would. Can-can I have my dog?"

Nothing… Nothing but a rustle in the dark.

And suddenly, a sharp squeal and a giggle came out of the kitchen. Kristy jumped in surprise and Laura sprinted out. Her husband, a tall man that grinned at the shout followed after, and Laura cleared her throat, still tittering.

"Oh, oh Kris…" she glanced quickly to the man and back, straightening her shirt. Shenzie was still locked in the other room and barking, but quieter now. "We weren't expecting you."

Kristy blinked in the dark, forcing her eyes to stay away from the man. "B-but…my dog, remember?"

"Oh right, of course!" Laura shook her head and scurried out, still laughing. She switched the lights on and disappeared. "Stupid me!"

Kristy blinked owlishly in the light. The TV was on mute…Pillows were everywhere, scattering the room and it was a mess. Mark's shirt was still open.

Kristy glanced down, uncomfortable. She supposed it was to be expected. They were newlyweds, after all. Mark was Laura's, after all.

"So…" he started.

Kristy shoved her hands in her coat pockets awkwardly, swallowing the knot in her throat. It felt like there wasn't quite enough air in the room. She never knew what to say to her brother-in-law. _Brother-in-law._ It felt so strange, thinking of him like that.

Kristy swallowed again, staring down. The carpet was blue. The air in the corner smelled like cleaning detergent and dust. Kristy wasn't sure why she noticed these things, but they made her feel lonely, out of place.

"So Laurie tells me you've been taking care of some…friend?" Mark leaned on the threshold as they waited. One of the living room bulbs were burnt out, throwing dark down one-half the room and lighting the other. He fiddled casually with his shirt tails, ignoring his disheveled hair and rumpled pants.

Kristy glanced to the ground. "Um, yes. You could say that."

"What's his name?"

"Um…it's kind of complicated, Mark. I-I'd rather not- Oh, Laura!" Kristy exclaimed in a rush, just as her sister appeared. Pure relief.

It was an innocent enough question. But what could she say? _I honestly have no idea who he is?_ I'm living with him because…because I don't know why? Nothing made sense. She might as well not try.

"Here she is, safe and sound." Shenzie followed behind, a large, dark Golden Retriever, all eyes and fur. Her haunches reached the woman's knees. "I guess this means your 'house problems' are all taken care of?"

"Well…k-kind of, yeah. You could say that. Look, I'm really sorry to have put you out like this." Kristy said, hurriedly taking the leash. She almost snatched it from Laura's hands, and it left both of them staring at her in surprise. "…but-but it's really kind of a mess." Kristy reached behind herself and unlatched the knob, beginning to back out the door. "I should get going. It's a long drive back."

"Sure, Kris. I understand." Laura looked after her retreating form, still a little stunned. "But don't you want to stay for coffee or anything?"

"Oh no! No." Kris waved half-heartedly like a madwoman, before hurrying Shenzie into the car. She knew it was abrupt and more than strange.

But she couldn't do it.

She couldn't stand in that house and laugh. She couldn't talk and drink coffee, make herself feel comfortable, keep a smiling face on. It was wrong. How could her life go on like normal when there was so much…so much changed? She wasn't sure what it was. Seeing her sister and her husband was unnerving. And Legolas was a strange man, yes. Yes, the storms were strange too. Maybe they even were some kind of 'rip in time and space'…

But you know what? Life went on; so did everything else. _Right?_ Coffee was still coffee. Chocolate was chocolate. And two times per week at the gym was routine. Period.

Kristy shook her head, trying to rid herself of the panicky, dark feelings threatening to engulf her. They were absurd. They didn't make sense. It was the dark, the cold and biting wind.

She slammed the door shut and pulled out, Shenzie in the back seat. It was a long drive. The skies faded into dark clouds coiling in the west, blocking the silver stars from view. It made her feel alone, watching the highway median lights speed past in a constant, never-ending blur.

And then, she did something she told herself she wouldn't. It would only make things worse in the end; she was sure of it. But it didn't matter. She wanted to be distracted…from all of it, her tiredness, the dark. She found the audio book marked 'Fellowship of the Ring', the fantasy book where Legolas' name came from. _What could it hurt?_

She listened to it awhile. The book was well-written. The introduction began with a prologue telling about 'hobbits' and elves, hobbit holes and woods filled with wonderful, magical things. It sounded like an actual history book; Kristy almost laughed. But she didn't feel like it. The miles sped by and she listened intently.

It was half-way through the book-Kristy was almost home-when Legolas appeared. Now it was getting interesting. According to the book, he was an elf. She listened more carefully. Shenzie was asleep in the back seat. Everything was quiet except the road. Traffic, a whining bleeping mass, was backed up for the roadblocks. They were stopped completely by the time she hit the city limits. Streams of red and white lights burned in the dark, filling the side windows.

So Kristy sat in the car, hands in her lap, focusing in the dark. Listening.

Legolas wasn't just any elf…He was a prince _._ He was a messenger from his father, sent to the place called Imladris. Kristy couldn't laugh, and she couldn't switch it off either. She just soaked it in, feeling the warm purr of the heater on her face and the deep, quiet words filling her ears.

"ID please?"

She handed her driver's license out the window blankly. A mile on, the freeway finally cleared and she drove home. In the garage, under the complex, parked, the people in the book were on their way to someplace called Moria. They were out to destroy a ring…

 _A ring?_ How dangerous was that? Couldn't the author at least think of something believable?

Kristy shook her head at the end of the chapter, staring through the windshield, before shutting off the car and dragging Shenzie out. All of it was just plain ridiculous. Legolas wasn't an elf, and he _certainly_ wasn't some prince.

Why his parents named him that? Why Legolas kept up such a ridiculous facade…she didn't know. But she couldn't help but wonder.

. . . .

. . . .

When Kristy opened the door, peering inside, the roll away couch was unfolded. Firelight licked at the walls and all the lights were off. All was quiet. All was still.

Maybe it was exhaustion, or maybe it was just late… but Kris smiled.

Elf or no, she thought, Legolas was beautiful. She crept closer until she leaned over him, letting the door snap quietly shut behind her. Her shadow fell across his face. Legolas lay haphazardly in the rumpled sheets, wrapped in his own arms and a blanket. He'd thrown his shirt over the pillows. Firelight snapped and danced on the walls, on his shoulders, tinted his warm skin orange. He looked tired, serene, and perfect.

Kristy looked at him, sighing, wondering how such a creature could have stumbled into her life. There was just something about him…something she couldn't pinpoint. It was there and she knew it. The words in Tolkien's book floated through her head…myths, magic, good and evil. But an elf? An elf _prince,_ no less?

Nope.

Who cared, anyway? The man curled on his side, fast asleep: this was who he was. He was Legolas. Strange? Yes, sometimes even frightening, but so beautiful. So very beautiful.

And suddenly, Shenzie wheezed and gave a great big yawn.

"Okay, okay." Kristy blinked, shaking her head. "You're right."

A shower would help. She set a bowl of food out for the dog and got ready for bed. When she came out, rubbing her wet hair in a towel, she noticed some papers on the bed. They were perfectly innocent papers. They were tucked under his side. Curious, she reached out.

But Legolas' shoulders were broad. She was tired. It happened. Just when she was over him, to take a look, her fingers nicked his ear. Instantly he was awake.

Kris gasped.

Legolas' fingers were like a steel trap. He grabbed her wrist and wrenched down; she almost made a noise of pain. Legolas didn't move. He just stared into the shadows lapping at the walls, eyes frozen, steely. They were icy blue and his heart pounded in his chest.

"L-legolas…I'm sorry." She rasped, pulling on her hand. The warm, affectionate feelings were gone and she remembered what he looked like outside the hospital. Afraid and angry. He didn't flinch; he didn't let go. He was so strong it terrified her.

"Legolas, let me go!" she panicked.

Legolas grimaced and very very carefully, gripping even tighter, he murmured. "Tis dangerous to wake a Woodelf in the dark, Kristine."

Kristy looked up, wild-eyed. "Let me _go_. Please."

And Legolas let her hand slide from his grasp. He didn't look at her, not quite, but he gazed into the abyss of the ceiling. He'd dreamt of darkness: terrible things. They took no form. They haunted him like ghosts. He remembered pain, fear, loss…an old man, slipping from a cavernous ledge. He remembered a terrible shout, the crack of a whip, black and terrible.

It was a nightmare.

Kristy stared at him, unable to move, unable to breathe. His steel blue eyes were wide, startled and…and afraid.

"Legolas," she whispered, forgetting her hurting wrist. "A-are you all right?"

Slowly, Legolas turned his eyes to the ones above him. Then, without even knowing why, he breathed. "Balrog."

"What? I mean," she blinked. "...huh?"

Legolas was so still, so utterly silent Kristy started to pull away. The look in his eyes scared her. A person shouldn't wake up looking like that. A person's first reflex shouldn't be to _grab_ the hand touching them. It wasn't right. It wasn't normal.

"Don't leave." He rasped. Legolas snatched out to catch her hand, but she was too fast. She didn't get up, not quite, but she backed away. "Please…do not leave me now, Kristine. We have fought both shadow and flame. I have come-come so very far. Do not leave me now."

Slowly, the tension eased a little.

"What was all that about?" She stared at him rigidly, her shadow dancing over the carpet. Kristy nodded with her chin. "Grabbing me? Growling out w- _whatever_ that was?"

"I am sorry." He said quickly in English. Legolas knew what she meant. "You…roused me from dark dreams." he murmured quieter in his own tongue.

"Forgive you…that's it? No explanation?" she shook her head, more confused than angry now. He didn't even bother getting the dictionary. Legolas just pinched his lips together, refusing to answer more.

And Kris decided not to press it.

"Anyway, I…I'm sorry for waking you up. I didn't mean to."

He just stared at her, before nodding a little.

Legolas relaxed deeper in the blankets. They were fresh and warm, like laundered linen. The two looked at each other a long while, listening to the fire snap and burn. A gradual peace fell between them. Kristy felt the warmth of his body through the sheets. Meanwhile, Legolas worked his way out of the panicky feelings nightmares bring…

They weren't real.

He glanced around. This was real: the pillows, Kristine's hair glowing copper in the firelight, the dog. Legolas blinked. The _dog?_

"Kristine!" Legolas whipped his head up in shock. It was a dog! And it was bounding straight for him.

Kristy shouted and jumped up after her. It was too late. The mass of fur leapt onto the bed and crashed into him the instant he threw an arm up. He was too late. Legolas let out a startled yelp and scrambled back, smothered in wet nose, silky hair and tongue. It was all over him!

" _Kristine_!" he shouted and they both hit the floor. A brief scuffle ensued. His first instinct was to grab the dog's neck and pull…but he refused. It wasn't attacking. He wouldn't kill it. Legolas felt his side yank and he gasped in pain. The dog had her victory then…And almost as soon as it started, Kristy was dragging the dog off him and panting apologies.

"God, I'm sorry. Stop!" she held onto Shenzie's collar and clamped her arms around the dog's neck. Kris straddled her haunches and collapsed, sitting on her. "She's just upset and excited and-and-and-"

Legolas winced, holding his side. "Tis all right." He looked up, forcing himself off the floor. "What _is_ that thing? You keep a street animal here in your home?"

She started pulling the creature into her bedroom.

"Huh?" Kris grimaced, shoving Shenzie inside and slamming the door shut. "I don't know. I'm sorry. I thought she was over that. S-she hasn't done it in months. I-I.."

Kristy trailed off. Legolas had a hang curled around his ribs. He didn't say a word, but she saw the ooze of blood in his fingers. He used the wall for support. "Oh… God, I'm sorry."

"Never mind." he muttered in response, glancing to her wide eyes. He took a moment to slow his breathing, keeping the pain down, before looking up and down. "The stitches are intact still."

"Does it…does it hurt?" she asked tentatively, edging just close enough to see the wound. The stitches were like an ugly black caterpillar clinging to his side.

Legolas thought about pretending he didn't understand, but instead, he took the better option. Lying. He shook his head no.

"Good." Kristy smiled, guilt etched all over her features. "I guess…I should get to bed then." she half-stepped away, looking horridly uncomfortable.

"No!" Legolas jolted too fast; it showed desperation. It was weakness. So he forced his voice to come out more quiet, more even. He shrugged his shoulders and sat carefully down on the edge of the bed, pinching his ribs with the inside of his arm for the pain.

"I mean, no…stay. Please." He whispered more subdued.

English. Kristy was so startled at the words, she was too slow to think of an answer… Instead, she nodded reluctantly. "Oh, a-all right."

Legolas refused to admit it, not to anyone, but he was afraid. The horror of the dreams would return; he knew it. He was afraid he'd wake up in the dark. He'd be alone. Maybe he'd remember something about himself that he didn't want to.

He didn't want to be alone.

Legolas looked at Kristine. He felt the depression in the mattress as she slowly sat beside. He watched dark blood creep up her face. It took him a moment, glancing confused to Kristine's averted eyes and back, before making the connection and smiling. Legolas was bare-chested. She was doing that thing with her mouth again…a self-conscious, nervous twitch. It was almost worth exposing skin just to get that reaction from her.

But that was cruel.

Legolas slowly reached back and pulled a shirt over his head, careful not to pull his arm.

"So…what now?" Kristy asked quietly, staring at the fire. The room was still again, as Shenzie settled down in the bedroom.

Legolas didn't answer. As moments ticked into minutes, he began to feel sheepish for jumping at the chance to be with her. It was ridiculous. A full-grown warrior…afraid of nightmares? Afraid to be alone in the night? It was unheard of!

But then again, the things that happened to him were unheard of.

When he glanced over, Kristy was looking at his papers. She was chewing the inside of her lip.

"Kristine..?"

She looked up.

Legolas nodded to the bedroom. "You can leave if you wish."

She glanced up at him. He was obviously upset; she could see it in his haunted eyes. "Something's wrong with you."

Her expression said it all. "I am alright." he sighed. _Or he would be._ Once he got these ridiculous emotions under control.

Kristy couldn't think of anything to say. Nothing that could help or that he'd understand. And so, she tentatively reached up to his shoulder. It was nothing more than a touch, but as Legolas looked into the shadowed depths of her eyes, it soothed him.

Late in the night he relaxed back into the pillows, Kristy sitting next to him. She watched the fire and listened to the wind. Legolas wasn't sure how long they rested like that. But the next thing he knew sunlight was pouring through the closed drapes and he was blinking his eyes open. A blanket had been draped over him. The apartment was quiet and Kristy was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

Human

. . .

 _One Week Later_

This was terrible. This was unthinkable!

Legolas stared at the mirror, leaning on the sink. How could this happen?Was he really so human as this? It was just too awful to contemplate.

"Damn it." he growled, before stalking out the bathroom and into the kitchen. All this time nothing like this had happened! Kristine was gone, thank Manwe. She was downstairs in the basement, putting in laundry. But if he was going to do this before she noticed anything…he'd have to hurry.

Kris slammed the washer door shut and pushed the 'start' button. The machine had a nasty habit of stopping half-way through and grinding to a stop. She watched until the white box broke into a quiet, rattling hum, and once satisfied, she pointed at it.

"Stay that way."

Twenty-five flights was a long way to heft a basket, especially when you were hungry. The elevator was being repaired, and she already had to make the trip twice.

"Legolas…?" she panted, staggering up the last steps and pushing through the half-open door. When she looked around, there was no sign of a blonde head, human or otherwise. "Uh…Legolas?"

Nothing.

"Why are the kitchen drawers open?" She called louder, glancing around. And then an angry, frustrated noise came from the bathroom. She came into the hall, alarmed. Instantly the door slammed shut and she blinked. _What was that for?_

She dropped the basket and came closer. "Legs?"

"Leave me alone."

That's it? What was that supposed to mean?

Kris folded her arms, before walking up to the door. "You know, I only get half of what you say when you're _trying,_ Legolas."

"I _said,_ " he repeated in very clear, accented English. It shocked her. " _Leave_ me alone!

Kris shifted back. "What? Why? What's the matter?"

A string of quiet curses only answered her, or at least she thought they were. It was impossible to tell in his native tongue.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or am I seriously going to have to stand here until you come out?"

"Go away."

"Nope."

There was a clatter of something falling to the floor. And then, after a few minutes of quiet, as if in answer, the door reluctantly swung open and Legolas stood there. She almost gasped.

"What happened to you?" she reached to touch his face, and he instantly snatched her wrist. "But-but Legolas, you're cut! How did that-" and she glanced around him in confusion. There was a knife on the floor.

"I need another knife." He growled.

"You need a what?" she whipped her head from the blade and back to his bleeding face.

"A knife, Kristine. A _knife._ " He pointed to the floor, letting her wrist go in the process. His pronunciation was a little off, but for Eru's sake! Kris used her freedom to grab him and drag him into the light. She captured his face before he could protest.

"How the hell did you manage this?" she asked, horrified…before, freezing. As if a lightbulb went off, she stared, mouth parting in surprise. A disbelieving, Cheshire cat smile spread over her face. "My God, you're growing a beard."

Legolas ripped her hands off his face. "To the contrary, I am trying _not_ to let my face become overrun in detestable facial hair."

Kristy didn't know what he was saying, but she laughed. Hard. "Oh, Legolas! I-I-" she couldn't manage the rest. She staggered back, still laughing. His mortified expression was even better than the first time he saw a string-bikini on TV.

"Stop laughing." He growled, dabbing at the blood on his chin, before examining his face in the mirror. Sunlight poured in through the windows and he squinted, trying to decide if he should scrape more of the stubble away or tend his injury. "It is not funny, I tell you."

"I…" she gasped, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry. It's just so funny, y-you're face."

"Stop laughing!" He insisted.

"Alright." She sniffed. "You need a razor. Like-like a guy's razor, I guess."

"Raz-or?" he muttered. Eru, this English was difficult. "What is that?"

Kris sighed, before she picked up an imaginary object, stared in the mirror, and laughingly made like she was shaving.

"Manwe, stop." He rolled his eyes. "I understand." Legolas grabbed her hand and made her quit. She just looked up, grinning like mad. "Cease, please. I know what you mean."

Kris chose that moment to look closer and it wiped the smile from her face. The cut really was bleeding. "You're telling me you actually tried shaving with that?" she pointed to the kitchen knife on the floor.

"Well, I have never shaved before!" he protested.

"Never?" she asked. "Not _ever?_ "

Legolas glanced down, touching his sensitive face, before fidgeting with the sink. "I never had to." He muttered.

Kris stared, still trying not to smile a little…before reaching up and rubbing his shoulder. "S'okay, no big deal."

Legolas just glowered.

"I have to go to work now. We'll go shopping tonight, okay?"

He ignored how good her affection felt on his back, and he nodded slightly.

. . .

When Kristy came home that night Legolas was staring at himself in the mirror. She set her bags on the kitchen counter. She still hadn't gotten to eat all day.

"You look fine. Seriously, why don't you just leave it?"

Legolas wasn't sure if he heard right. " _Leave_ this monstrosity on my face?"

Kris blinked. God his English was awful. She was surprised he knew 'monstrosity' at all. The woman shuffled down into the chair opposite and pushed her face in front of his. They were inches apart. Kristy narrowed her eyes, inspecting every inch of his chin and he let her.

The hair was fine and even. It looked like a faint, dark shadow across his jawline. It emphasized his chiseled cheekbones and his eyes stood out in bright contrast.

"It's really not too bad." she said finally. "I swear. I mean...I wouldn't _jump_ to shave it off if I were you."

Legolas gave her a withering look. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"Well I don't know now." Kristy grinned and folded her arms on the table. "I like it. Maybe I won't."

And then...his eyes glanced to the kitchen knife on the table. She knew what he was thinking. She knew it but she was too slow. Before she could scramble, Legolas slammed his palm across the tabletop and grabbed it.

"Alright!" she gagged on her own laugh. "You win. I give up. We'll go."

"That's better." he smirked.

The smile actually took Kristy off-guard. She slowly drew her hands back. It was quiet and almost... _sparkly_. But as fast as it was there, it was gone.

Legolas scowled. "Come on."

So much for getting food tonight.

. . .

It was dusky outside. Legolas' hair flagged in the wind and Kristy pulled her hood up as they walked across a grocery-store parking lot. A gust of warm air greeted them inside. Rows and rows of razors lined the wall. Legolas was just in the middle of blinking in shock at the sight, when Kristy swore.

"I forgot my purse at home."

Legolas groaned.

"Well I'm sorry!" she sighed. "Nobody's perfect. I forget stuff."

"Speak for yourself." he muttered smugly.

"Oh yeah? Look who went and grew the facial hair!"

Legolas was about to protest, but he had to concede. It was indeed shameful. "True."

Kristy chuckled. "Well what do you wanna do about it?"

"I suppose go back for it. Though I dread riding in that car more than necessary."

"Well just stay here then. Pick out the one you want, I'll run home and be back in a few minutes."

The elf only got the gist of that, but he nodded. "Very well."

And that was how Legolas found himself wandering the aisles of the market. One section had rows of TVs lined up on the wall, all showing different channels. He stood in front of them, head thrown back and soaking it in, eyes wide. So much color, so many faces and mouths moving wordlessly across the screens. It was so different from anything he'd ever seen before. But it didn't frighten him.

It...entranced him.

Maybe that was why he didn't see the little girl staring at him from Aisle 2.

"Mom! Mom, look at the man!"

Legolas didn't spare a glance.

"Oh my..." the woman whispered to the man on her arm. "Get back. It's one of them! It's gotta be. Dennis, call somebody."

Legolas felt the tingle of eyes on the back of his neck. He glanced over his shoulder and slipped away. He wasn't taking any chances. Barely a minute later, policemen walked through the doors. Legolas ducked behind a rack full of clothes, staring through the coat hangers. His heart rate sped up. Things hung off their belts...handcuffs, a steel rod. One was a woman.

"Where is he?" she asked.

"Well I don't know, officer. He disappeared. But he certainly was weird looking."

"Ma'am, do you know how many calls we get like this every day? Not every stranger is one of the aliens you're warned about."

Legolas felt along the wall, backing away. His sensitive ears still caught every word.

"Well I won't sleep tonight unless you find out!" she burst out. "He-he had this _look_ in his eyes, like he didn't know where he was at all. And he was gorgeous, like a Greek god."

"A greek god..." the second, black-skinned officer muttered. "Alright, why don't you take a look around? I'll watch the exit."

"Will do."

Legolas whirled around instantly and strode through a bright white aisle lined with cosmetics. He didn't know where he was going. But he had to move out of the policewoman's way. She was heading straight for him, keys jingling and her eyes glancing back and forth down each aisle.

"Stay sharp."

Legolas cursed himself. He shouldn't have stopped to stare at the TV _s_. He shouldn't have stayed here in the open, not without Kristy. He knew better! _Don't draw attention to yourself._ Blend in. Disappear.

And disappear Legolas could do.

Quickly, he slipped a baggy coat over his back and zipped it up. He tucked his long hair back, shrugging and sticking his hands into the pockets. He hoped he looked like any one of the other millions of shuffling, incoherent goons in this city. And suddenly, he caught sight of the restroom. Only problem was the cop walking up and down, between him and it. And she was getting closer. Legolas backed up; she was cornering him without even realizing it. He could barely speak any English at all; he wouldn't get out of this one. Not if he was caught.

Before he could think, Legolas yanked a hanger off the racks and threw it across the aisle and into a display case. Glass shattered. The officer jumped and bolted toward the noise just as he ducked behind a row of grocery carts and slipped into the restroom. The door wheezed shut behind him.

 _Second exit. Second ex- ..._ Well it wasn't exactly an exit, but it would have to do!

There was a tiny window above one of the sinks. He hesitated just an instant, heart pounding in his ears. Then, he leaped onto the counter, forced the window open, and dropped down onto pavement. It was behind the store in some sort of empty parking lot. Traffic whizzed by and a fierce wind blew his hair.

He was free.

Legolas started walking as fast as he could. He wouldn't run. Running was too dangerous. Everything was so loud and cold and foreign, he couldn't risk being stuck out here. He saw the police car out front and steered away.

. . . . . .

Kristy walked into the supermarket swinging her purse.

"Legs?" she glanced around the aisle where she left him. "Come on, where are you? I'm back."

 _Stupid elf._

She didn't like the cop car outside. Why did she worry about him so much?

So she made a circuit around the store, picking up a razor on the way. A few flustered customers were walking around, muttering and glancing about. Kris frowned. A little Spanish woman was sweeping a pile of broken dishes out of the aisle. Nothing else was out of the ordinary.

Except Legolas was nowhere. _Dammit._

She couldn't ask. She couldn't call him. And she couldn't exactly check the lost and found box. He didn't have a phone! But then she passed the restroom sign, paused a second, and darted for the door.

"Legolas?"

 _Nothing._

She thought a minute ..before cracking the door open and tentatively peeking inside. Empty. It was purely chance that she glanced up. Maybe it was the cold wind. Or maybe the light, but her eyes caught a foggy window up high over the sinks.

It was open.

Kristy groaned. _"_ Oh you've gotta be kidding me."

She started off to the exit. Her strides were twice as long as they should be. People stared and she didn't care. That stupid man...elf, whatever was just too much!

"Damn you Legolas."

. . . .

Kristy didn't know how long she rode up and down the city streets. She was lucky enough to find him once, after the storms hit, but she knew it wouldn't happen again. She searched anyway. She didn't know what else to do.

And then, two hours later, her phone buzzed in the back seat. Kris jumped and swerved in surprise, before fumbling behind the seat for her purse. When she finally found it, she almost gasped.

It was her home phone, the landline in the apartment. "Uh...h-hello?"

"Kristine."

Kris blinked.

"Kristine, where are you?"

All she could do is splutter. "Legolas, what the hell?! How did you call me? What happened? Where are you? What-"

"Come home. I am here." he interrupted.

Kristy almost hit herself. He could barely understand her at the best of times. "I-but-you-"

"Slow down."

"What the hell? Are you _alright_?"

"I am fine."

Kristy pulled off the highway and did a U-turn. She barely said goodbye to Legolas before hanging up. Once she'd sped home and parked under her apartment building, Kris pushed the door open and strode into the lobby.

To her further shock, Legolas was on the bottom of the stairs. Waiting.

"Legs...what the hell happened?"

He tilted his head.

"How did you get here? How did you call me?"

To her surprise, Legolas just slid over to make room on the staircase. Kris hesitated an instant, before walking over and sitting down. The carpet was rough and warm.

Legolas fidgeted, a rare thing for him. "I cannot...blend."

Kris sat up. "What? What happened?"

"Nothing. All is fine."

"The police...were they there for you?"

Legolas nodded.

Kristy was silent a long moment. She wasn't sure what to say. But then one look at his expression, and she said softly. "I'm sorry."

Legolas didn't respond.

"But I can help." she said without thinking.

Legolas didnt respond.

"I can help you blend in." she said a little more hesitantly. "That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

He inhaled slowly, not quite sure what he wanted. This afternoon shook him a little, it was true. He wouldn't survive here long with days like that. He didn't want to change, but he had to. He had to use every skill he had to disappear, to slip into a crowd and vanish. And more.

"What do you suggest?" he asked quietly.

Kristy glanced over him, before reluctantly fingering a strand of pale hair hanging down his shoulders. "This." she shook her head. "Its gotta go."

Legolas narrowed his eyes. "'Tis a shame among my people to be shorn."

Kris shrugged. "Well I tell you one thing, it makes you stick out like a-a..." she sighed. "I don't know. A pimp at a whorehouse."

Legolas blinked.

"Fish out of water? Bull in a china shop?"

Legolas didn't want to smile. So he didn't.

"Okay fine. A rose 'among-st' thorns then." she said with a shake and little grin. "What do you say? Can I do it?"

"I do not-" Legolas thought a second, before grappling for the right word. "...trust you."

"Come on, please? I took six weeks of styling classes! I can do it, I swear."

Legolas tightened his fists.

Before he knew it, Legolas was strapped to a chair in the middle of the kitchen. Maybe 'strapped' wasn't the best word. But that's how he felt. Every time he tried to get up Kristy grabbed him and dragged him back again.

"You insufferable witch." He growled.

"Don't snap at me in your stupid language."

"I want you to help me understand the ways of this world. Not take my hair!"

She gripped his shoulder with one hand and held up a scissors in the other. Legolas recoiled. "What do you care so much for? What do you mean it's a 'shame'? It's just hair for God's sake!"

Legolas shook her hand off him, before scowling at the far wall. She'd never understand. "Fine."

"No, come on now. I want to know." Kristy cracked open a garbage bag and put it on the floor while Legolas pulled his shirt off.

He sighed, tossing it away. The details were fuzzy, but he remembered enough. "Each braid represents who I am: station, rank in the army. You strip me of honor and identity." Legolas said. He felt like he was being banished, or shamed getting his braids removed, or-or... _oh who cared?_ He could barely remember that life anyway. Much less get back to it!

Kris didn't answer.

Legolas narrowed his eyes. "Do it."

She hesitated just an instant. "I'm sorry, Legs. I have to."

Long strands of silky hair started dropping to the floor. Kris winced the first time. She sawed it all off just above where his collar would be. But it got easier with every snip. In fact, she started to enjoy it. The sun set outside, throwing purple and orange over the glass city outside. Before she realized it though, the scissors slowed in her hands and she was slowly, gently twirling a strand of short hair between her fingers.

It was intoxicatingly smooth.

"Kristine..?"

Kris jumped. "Um...your hair is just really um, soft." she whispered.

Legolas glanced up. He could see blurry jeans in the edge of his vision. But he decided to ignore the comment. "I see."

Kristy pushed the thought away and hurried up. She razor-ed layers up the back and sides so it was short but shaggy: much too short to braid. She tried not to enjoy running her hands through his hair again and again, brushing it, letting it slip through her fingers. She shouldn't take pleasure in his pain.

But it felt good.

"Looks mighty fine, if I do say so myself." Kristy tossed the scissors away finally. She stared at his face and put her hands on her knees. "Mighty fine. Hold on." she scampered off into the bedroom and ran back with a mirror. "Take a look."

Legolas was petrified to.

"Come on!"

"I swear if you-" And Legolas froze. It was...it was worse than he imagined.

"Trust me, it looks fine." she tried snatching the mirror away again, but he held it out of reach.

"It's nearly all gone. You've left me with-"

"Hey you've got a few inches there!"

Legolas shook his head. He looked at the floor. Blonde hair littered the linoleum and he picked up one of his slender braids, before dropping it. _Dammit._ But Legolas had no time to even recover. A half an hour later, Kristy hauled a full length mirror out of her bedroom and set it against the bay window. Than she collapsed on the floor cross-legged.

"Look."

Legolas looked at himself. He looked like a man. He had comfortable, worn jeans and a soft, dark t-shirt on.

"I mean dude! Look at that _posture_." Kristy threw her hands up in the air. "You make a doorpost jealous. Or-or a two-by-four. I don't even understand how someone stands that straight all the time."

Legolas tilted his head. "Years of practice. That is how."

"Well do yourself a favor and un-learn it. You're already a tall son of a bitch anyway."

"Watch your language."

Kristy sighed. "Sorry. You know what I mean."

Legolas concentrated a moment...before dropping one shoulder a bit.

"The other one too."

Oh that hurt. Very, very reluctantly Legolas slouched. "Better?"

"Not much." she put her chin in one hand, fingering her lower lip. "But more than that, I've noticed how you look at things. Your eyes are constantly moving. And then you find something and freeze so...it's like you're a statue. It's weird."

Legolas shook his head. He barely understood half of that. "We-ird?"

Kris shivered. "Yeah, scary. You even freak me out sometimes."

Legolas rested back on his hips, tilting one eybrow. "Then I will endeavor not to...'freak' you again."

She chuckled. "Something like that. Can you tell me how the heck you got into my apartment though? I haven't gotten you a spare key yet. And how did you know how to use the phone?"

"The fire escape from the floor above yours." he said as if it was obvious. "And your...your _device_ is not difficult to use. I have watched. And you should not leave your window open."

Kristy shook her head. She wasn't even going to ask how he found his way home. "You must have a sense of direction like Lassie."

"Lassie?"

"Don't ask." Kristy pointed at his hands. "And that there, look. You never move your hands. Fidget!"

Legolas did.

"Don't be cute. You've gotta be nervous inside there somewhere. Don't think about it. React."

Without warning, Legolas lunged forward and grabbed her around the neck.

"Ack!"

The elf smirked. "I reacted."

"You wanna eat tonight?" she choked.

Legolas laughed and released her.

"You're nasty." Kris muttered, still rubbing her neck. "You gotta work on your face too. You have two modes: dead serious, death in your eyes fashion-model, or wide-eyed toddler."

Legolas blinked.

"Don't look at me like that!" she said. "I'm just telling you the truth."

By this time, it was dark outside. He was tired and didn't want to keep talking about this. Legolas sighed heavily and reached to scratch his face, only to mutter a curse. The damn stubble was still there.

Kristy looked at him. "Do you wanna get rid of that?"

Legolas smiled faintly. "More than anything."

"Let's do it." She reached over the tub and and held up shaving cream. "Use plenty of this."

"Why do you keep that?" Legolas asked, genuinely confused. Surely she had no beard to shave.

Kris blinked. "Huh?" _Shit._ She-elves never shaved? Of course they didn't. They were probably all silky smooth and porcelain skin. "Uh, nevermind. Just use it."

Before Legolas could utter a word, Kristy ducked out of the bathroom.

. . . .

Legolas came into the kitchen later that night to find Kristy stirring soup. Quiet music played on the stereo. The song was relaxing. Legolas knew better than to listen to the words though; it was likely about lovemaking. She was humming to the music a little off-key.

The elf came up behind her and slipped his hands over her shoulders.

"Hey!" Kristy jumped and looked up.

"Give me your hand." he smiled mischievously. Legolas didn't wait for her to obey. He took one of her wrists and brought it to his face. Before she could say a word, he grinned, sliding her fingers up his now perfectly shaved face.

"Mm, smooth." she groaned in pleasure as he leaned into her touch, looking at him over her shoulder.

Legolas let her hand drop. She was only playing, but his face turned color and he shifted back. "Aye, how it should be." he laughed quickly.

Kristy cleared her throat. "Um, so my mom called. She asked me to have Thanksgiving dinner with her next weekend."

Legolas slid up onto the counter, waiting for her to continue.

"I told her I have a guest, so it wouldn't really feel right. But she said to bring you along."

"Kristine-"

"Hear me out! It's just a few of my family. They usually get so drunk at these things, they wouldn't know if an elephant walked in the room, much less you. Besides, i-it would be a chance for you to practice your...blending skills."

Legolas looked at her.

"Well...don't you think?"

"Are you finished?" his mouth twitched.

"Um, yeah."

"Good. I was going to say I thought it was perfectly acceptable. I do need practice, and a small, controlled setting is where to do it."

"Remember, you're my friend from over-seas and you're visiting awhile. You only speak some English. And I'll be with you the whole time if you need help keeping your lies straight!" she agreed.

"Please don't say it like that."

"But it's true."

"Yes, but don't say it."

 **A/N: Well there it is, boys and girls! Got one more coming**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hello! Hope you're all having a good weekend (or will have tomorrow;) Thank you for all your lovely reviews, REMdream, Trich, Andy the Willow Tree, SparkyTAS, LadyPorpoise, Nice guys, Raider-K, melodicechoes, CalistaLegaci, jshaw0624, Trich, REMdream, Scylla's revenge, Woman of Letters, wickedGreene13, , dreamer, Woman of Letters, Amateur Bacon Cook, WyomingCowboy15, and middleagemanager.**

 **I love them all. :))**

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Legolas studied for hours... Hours turned into days.

Perfecting English was difficult, but not impossible. He'd been at it for weeks now. _How could this ever have sounded like chaos?_ He thought, sorting through the work. It was relatively simple, really. Between the Westron he'd managed to convince Kristine to learn, and a small measure of guesswork, communicating was never an issue. And it was relatively easy, the two languages were similar: often whole words were the same.

"What do you want for breakfast, Legolas?" Kristy came in the kitchen and patted his head.

Legolas was at it since midnight, and he needed sleep. This human body was pathetic. But ever since that first night weeks ago…the dreams just never stopped. Work helped. It distracted him. He could focus on something else. But whispers of dark voices still called to him, drifted at the borders of his consciousness, reminding him of the evil he left behind…the evil he deserted.

Legolas pushed the thought away.

Instead, he looked up from the table and frowned. It was fast becoming an annoying habit of hers, touching his hair. The woman said it would _grow_ faster if he didn't ignore it. But he suspected she just liked touching it. It fascinated her… And why not? After the Eru-cursed woman cutit!

Legolas looked away.

"What's the matter?" She blinked, wearing a thin, dark shirt. Legolas glanced up. It clung impossibly tight to her top and dark, faded jeans hanging low on her hips. Legolas ignored it. 'Tank tops', she called them, good for running, exercising, or just about anything apparently. Scandalous.

He ran a hand through his shorn hair with a sour, burned expression.

"Oh gosh, are you still upset about that?" Kristy asked, obviously referring to the hair. "My God, you _are_."

"I said I was not angry."

And it wasn't a total lie.

Legolas realized weeks ago that his hair made him stand out. The police, soldiers and even passersby on the street threw him too-long looks with it. Leaving the city was already impossible; he had no identification. Kristine had to vouch for him, lie for him and smile to the soldiers at the road-blocks inside the city. It was annoying.

"I cannot help it if it displeases me." He muttered.

"You said I could do it!" Kristy protested.

"Oh, yes…else you'd not have touched it!" he snapped back.

Kristy stood back on her heels, crossing her arms. Legolas almost looked over at the movement, but not quite. "Well, you can move around a lot freer, can't you?" she said, refusing to raise her voice. "No one stopped you for ID yesterday, did they?"

Legolas didn't answer.

"Well, did they?" she pressed. "And don't pretend you don't understand me, elf." She smirked anyway. "I know you do."

Legolas thought about grunting, casting a dark look, ignoring her, leaving maybe. But he didn't. Instead… he reluctantly cracked a smile.

It shouldn't work. He didn't know why. It just felt good to be called 'elf'. It helped him believe, trust himself and his memories. There were still patches-the last few weeks before coming here, mostly-but he had all the rest of it back now.

Shenzie came into the kitchen and put her head in his lap. "It matters little: coming, going." He said anyway, twisting a pencil back and forth between his fingers. "I cannot leave the city. This place is a cage… and I am a caged animal within it." he murmured, stroking the dog's head as she blinked wet eyes at him.

Kristy didn't answer. The sound of sizzling eggs was the only break in the quiet for a while. She didn't like it when he talked like that. Legolas must have had another bad night. _Why couldn't he sleep?_ Why didn't he just rest when he needed it?

She didn't know. He always refused to tell her.

Instead, Legolas had taken up watching television. Sometimes Kristy would wake up at one or two in the morning and Legolas would be sitting in a pile of pillows, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, watching the screen. His eyes were glazed over and his mouth was a thin, tight line. Was it fear? Anger? She didn't know. It didn't matter if it was commercials, a movie… even on mute. He just wanted to be distracted.

From what? From who? She didn't know that either. And every time she dared ask, he grew cold.

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"I miss my old clothes." Legolas grumbled in the window seat of the store that afternoon, picking at a stray thread on his sleeve.

Kristy ignored him.

There was so much work! She wished she'd never taken it on. They were picking up the stacks of order forms and tax returns she had to bring home and fill out. The old miser, Corby should be doing this himself. Alice was already manning the store most of the time. The real work, the accounting, was hopelessly piling up.

"And I wish I had my weapons." he muttered under his breath. It was bad enough here without being defenseless in that city out there. "I would make them anew if this ridiculous excuse of a city had proper _trees."_

She didn't answer. Legolas sat in the display window of the store front. Kris switched on the lights and a glow lit up the cream walls. Loose racks of coats and distressed jeans scattered the carpet, the glass counter along the left casing rings, bracelets, gold and silver necklaces. Designer sweaters hung high up on the walls under soft, glowing lights.

Legolas curled up on the carpeted seat and crossed his legs Indian style, staring out at the passersby through the glass wall. They barely noticed him. Kristy glanced over, watching as she worked, hurriedly scraping the sheets together. His eyes were gray-blue in the white light. He pressed a palm up against the glass and carefully, intently peered out. She almost smiled. It was like a child looking in a candy store.

And then the smile faded. Her hands stilled. Legolas wasn't a child, and he wasn't looking in. He was looking _out,_ out at a dirty street filled with strangers. And the thought made her feel incredibly sad.

"Hey…" she forced a bright smile, "Legolas, look at here."

He didn't tear his eyes from the sidewalk.

"Have you seen one of these before?" she asked eagerly. "A camera?"

He mumbled something in his own tongue, before finally looking over. "What is that?"

Kris shoved her papers aside and came over. "Now this is a camera to be proud of." She crawled up into the window, pushing a mannequin aside. It almost toppled over and Legolas caught it.

"See?" she shuffled down beside anyway, "Look in here, click the button and poof! You've got a picture."

Legolas remembered the painting of his arm she'd taken those weeks ago. It was as real as life. "You did that with this?"

"Well my phone, actually. But this one's a lot better." Kristy turned the camera around and grinned, before nudging Legolas to do the same. "Come on, smile."

He looked at her a little strangely, before scrunching his brows and reluctantly glancing at the lens. The picture turned out strange. His eyes were too blue; his skin was pale. The thing was nasty.

And suddenly, he gasped. "That is not- … is that what my _hair_ looks like?" he exclaimed. Legolas snatched it away from her and shuffled back. "Oh, oh this is terrible, Kristine. What have you _done_ to me?"

He desperately ran a hand through his hair, twisting from side to side to examine it at all angles. It stuck up on top and shot in all directions, curling and twisting at the ends. Only with his hands did he manage to push the long, curling locks behind his ears. They twisted and turned, silky, knotting in his fingers. The wind made it impossible.

Disgraceful!

"I don't know." She mused, trying not to laugh at the sheer horror on his face. "I kind of like it."

"Well you be the only one, you…you _appalling_ woman." He growled darkly. "And stop laughing. You are the one who did this to me."

"I'm good at cutting hair and you know it." She grinned and snatched it from him. He actually looked relieved at not having to look at himself anymore. "Must say it was a particularly sweet job, too. You vaguely resemble…hum, Harry Styles maybe? Kind of cute."

"Unruly." He corrected.

And she clicked the shutter button. Then, Kristy smiled slightly. Legolas was sulking, remembering the long clumps of flaxen hair falling to the floor as she clipped. Horrible.

"Don't worry." She said softly, staring at his lowered gaze. She tentatively lifted a stray strand of hair from his eyes to peek at him. "You couldn't look terrible if you tried."

And still…it was a distraction. Legolas didn't have to think about just how empty he felt. Sometimes, he even forgot the cold, solid wall casing in his soul, keeping him from the warmth of every creature out there.

Legolas' shoulder brushed the cold glass and as Kristy fiddled with the device, he slowly sunk back into the haze.

In this human, breakable body, it was like his _fea_ was trapped in a glass case that looked, but never touched. It was like reaching out to something too far away, too cold, too distant. He just couldn't latch onto anything, pull it closer and let his spirit bask with it, link to it…nothing.

"…Legolas?"

He blinked, jolting his fingers from the window. Kristy stared at him, looking from his longing eyes to the fog where he breathed on the frigid window.

"I-I asked if you want to go home?"

Legolas slowly dragged his head out of the worthless, sinking feelings and blinked the startled look from his eyes. She didn't need to see him like this. She already fed him, talked to him, kept him under her roof. She didn't have to deal with his pathetic, deserted feelings too.

So, he smiled. "You are not finished here."

"No, but…"

Legolas smiled wider, making his eyes bright. He was growing better at this. He hated how his face mirrored exactly what he felt. Aragorn often told him he was like an open book… But then, Kristine furrowed her brows in confusion. She looked over his face, obviously perplexed.

It was like reading a mask. She hated it when he did that. He wiped his face of every last trace of emotion. Why did he _do_ that?

"What's wrong?" she asked softer, more insistent.

"Nothing. What makes you think anything is wrong?" his schooled expression became a careful, neutral face.

She looked at him, concern etching her features. "I…I don't know. But I can help, Legolas. Just tell me what's the matter?"

"Nothing." He persisted.

"Look, I know you're lying." She sat up on her knees, leaning closer. "Why can't you just talk to me?"

Legolas felt an unexpected flare of frustration. " _Nothing_ is the matter, Kristine!" he turned away. "Do not perceive to know me better than I do myself, for you do not. When I tell you I am alright, then I am _alright._ Really, _"_ he said more gently. "I am."

Kristy stared at him. He was all pride and indignation again. At least that's what she thought it was. What else could make him so distant? Why else was he shutting her out?

And then, something snapped and she quipped airily. "Fine." Before looking away. "I'll finish here and leave."

Kris slid out of the window and tried not to throw her camera too hard. It landed on the plush leather couch in the corner, just under the window and she slapped her papers down on the table. The furniture made it easier for friends to linger, visit and chat while they shopped. Kristy spread her work out and snapped her pen. She scribbled furiously almost half a sheet before realizing the ink was empty. She cursed and threw it away, before rifling almost angrily through her bag for another one.

Nothing worked. Nothing helped. No matter how good things were going, they always ended badly. No progress. _Nothing_. Stupid, damn elf. Just when she thought she was getting close to him, he'd shut her out again and he was alone.

Legolas watched it all with confusion. He forgot the cold feelings and the memories…missing Aragorn, his friend, the good ones he had of happy days, light and dappled sun pouring through maple leaves. He pushed it all down and focused.

"Kristine." He stated.

She didn't answer.

"Kristine, I…think I shall go walk." He said carefully, suddenly feeling distinctly unwanted. It didn't make sense. She was fine just a second ago, happy. He hadn't done a single thing to her and now she was upset! It was just too baffling.

"Fine." She said flatly. "Go."

Nothing more than that came out.

And so, Legolas reluctantly pushed the door open and glanced back. She still scratched furiously at the papers, sitting on her knees under the low, glass-topped table. He thought about murmuring some kind of farewell, but then he thought better of it.

Legolas tried his best to keep her out of his problems, to shield her from any and all distorted emotions stampeding wildly through his feelings. He tried to keep them down, force himself not to want this contact, to miss the constant touch of his peoples' minds. It was impossible. Ridiculous. Weak. He kept her from all the wild Sylvan trying to take control of him and _still_ it angered her.

Kristine was a complex little creature. Best not try and figure it out.

"Be back in an hour." came a flat voice.

Legolas spun around, blinking in surprise. Was that…was that a command? Did she just _order_ him to be back in an hour?

He was above it. Legolas should be above it. But he wasn't.

"Then you will take me home." He shot back and before she could answer, he slammed the door shut. It wasn't a request and it was rude. Childish...just like how he felt.

Legolas walked a long time. Thankfully, no one stopped him, not even the line of army trucks roaring past. He looked up at their faces, the soldiers in the back where the tent flaps slapped back and forth in the wind. It was just a glimpse, but they were grim, armed and ready for…for what? He wasn't sure.

Legolas decided not to think about it. The city was more tense again; he felt it in the air, how it settled on his face and stirred his hair. He wasn't sure what it was though.

By the time Legolas made it back, it was well more than an hour later. Kristy still wasn't finished, and when he came in to stand silently at the door, she opted to take the work with her and leave. She didn't say a word to him, and neither did he. The woman locked up the store and switched the lights out.

It was a short drive home, and Legolas stared out the window. Trapped in the steel beast, the silence between them was even heavier. She wouldn't talk to him. She wouldn't even look at him. He ignored it. She was being sullen and ridiculous.

Droves of people filled the street at afternoon rush hour; he watched them all. How strange it was, seeing every single strange, living face… smiling, frowning…and so unable to touch. Even humans, he realized, he should be able to feel. They couldn't respond of course, as Elvar would, but even one-sided contact was better than none. It left him feeling cold and irritated.

The car pulled into the underground garage and parked. Gentle lights crisscrossed the ceiling overhead, just enough to see ahead of him. He couldn't wait to get out.

"Can we sit?" Kristy spoke up suddenly, just as Legolas opened the door.

He paused.

"Can we sit?" she repeated. "Please."

Slowly, unsure of what just happened, Legolas eased back into the seat and latched the door closed. Nothing happened. The car was off and it was dark. Cloudy light poured in from the garage door. Then, slowly, Legolas leaned back and stretched his legs in the space ahead of him. If she was going to sit here in silence, at least it would be comfortable silence.

It was anything but that.

"Look," she spoke up suddenly, tense, staring at the steering wheel in front of her. "I know you hate it here." Kristy said flatly.

Legolas didn't answer. _Well that was unexpected._

"And I know you don't belong. I know you're miserable. I know you don't like trying to fit in here, and-" and then, she broke off. Kristy bit down on the inside of her lip hard; Legolas watched very intently from the side. He ran his eyes slowly down the tresses pushed behind her ears.

It was so short for a woman. He knew his thoughts wandered. That hair barely brushed her…her, he looked down…chest. In the faint light, the soft, straight hair glowed lit copper, brown and gold. Beautiful.

He realized it suddenly and he scowled, pushing the thought down.

"You know what?" she snapped suddenly, tilting her chin up. Legolas hadn't realized how long he was silent. Kristy stared at the windshield like he wasn't even there. It felt quiet in the car, close, almost intimate to him…and he realized it actually wasn't. She wasn't thinking what he was at all. Kris didn't want to talk to him anymore.

She left and slammed the door shut.

"Never mind."

And Legolas blinked, staring. She didn't wait for him. She didn't look back.

It was going to be a very silent evening.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Legolas worked at a round wood table in the corner, angled to see the TV on mute. Dark clouds outside flashed and poured rain. He was busy fleshing out his vocabulary by reading a 'Webster's Dictionary'. Quite fascinating, actually.

Kristy was sitting on the dog, brushing her flanks and letting fur tufts float across the floor. Legolas blew one off his book. And suddenly, the lightbulb overhead snapped, blinked and went black. She groaned, peering up, before going out to the kitchen to dig up a replacement. Legolas didn't pay attention. He'd seen it done before.

And then he reluctantly glanced up at a short, frustrated hiss. Kristy was straining on tip toe, grappling for the ceiling to reach the fixture. It was quite a while since their spat in the store and things had eased, but he still didn't move.

"Some help?" she snapped.

Legolas just smiled, deciding she could manage alright and he worked on. Then something caught his eyes and he surreptitiously glancing sideways. He kept his head down, but as the woman reached and twisted the device free, the shirt she was wearing was riding up… up uncomfortably far.

Legolas snapped his head down.

And then another frustrated hiss brought his eyes up again.

"Why are you a foot taller than me and _I'm_ the one doing this?"

It shouldn't interest him, not really, but he found Kristy was as tanned on her belly and down around her hips too. _What did she do, sit in the sun half-naked?_ Legolas refused to picture that. Parts of him wanted to, but he refused. Kristine was a woman and to be respected.

And then, he angled his eyes a little and as she fumbled with the hot object, Legolas idly wondered if she wanted him to look.

 _Yes_? Well after all, she wore shirts like that around him on purpose. The neckline alone showed him more of her than he'd care to see, especially times like this when it just wouldn't leave his head. No. She wore them before he even knew her. So, what… _he_ was the one out of place _?_ Legolas shook his head, forcefully ignoring the flat, taut belly and sliver of navel on display a few meters away. _Of course he was out of place!_ What was he, some kind of...of _human_? Technically speaking, yes…but he didn't need to act like it.

What was wrong with him? He'd seen both elf-kind and human stripped naked. It shouldn't bother him. Sindar were _cooled_ to such things, schooled and trained completely. Even his wild Sylvan side should be better than this! Elves weren't affected by such things, and neither was he.

So instead, at the next angry noise she made, Legolas ripped his eyes off the skin he shouldn't have seen and stalked over.

"Some _help_ you lousy- _"_ And she gasped.

Legolas hooked his fingers under her shirt and forcefully yanked it down. Then he grabbed her sides and lifted. Kris let out a yelp. There was something terrifying about sudden levitation. But he lifted her high enough to reach the damnable bulb.

Legolas almost smiled. Why, yes. He could be helpful _and_ vengeful.

With a single glare, she uttered a laugh and finished with the bulb.

. . . . .

That night, not much seemed to change.

It was early when Kristy went to bed. She knew Legolas hated it when she went early. It left him alone in the apartment; she took Shenzie in with her and it left him cold, deserted. But she didn't know how to talk to him, because she didn't know what was wrong.

Late that night, Kristy got up to use the bathroom. She was coming back with a glass of water when she paused in the threshold. All was dark. She'd worked all day on Corby's accounting and she was tired. She was even tired standing here. Legolas should be too. He should be asleep.

Kris focused in the dark.

But he wasn't. Yet he wasn't up either. He'd drawn the drapes away from the bay window, looking out over the night city lights from across the room. He was in the rolled out bed, leaning back on the couch, his legs in the blankets.

It was like this so often. Even their tiff hadn't changed the swell of pity she felt. Kristy knew he had trouble resting. It just seemed like she couldn't think of anything to say… at night or in morning light. But somehow, when she looked in now, she didn't want to retreat. She didn't want to go in her room and hope he felt better tomorrow.

"Hello." Kristy said softly, coming in.

He looked up, but didn't say anything. No surprise there.

Legolas sat in shadow, facing the silver light pouring through the bay window, filling the center of the room. It lit the rumpled sheets at the foot of the bed in a faint blue glow.

Kristy came to the edge of the bed and rain pattered the windows. "How's it going?" she asked even quieter.

Legolas just sighed. Nothing.

He knew what she was trying to do. It was kind of her, Legolas supposed, especially after…what was it? He wasn't sure what happened between them that day. But it wouldn't help.

He couldn't sleep. His head hurt with the years, the centuries…centuries of sun, wind and war. There was so much. There was joy, yes, his family and Aragorn, but so much pain too. They haunted his dreams and something...something he couldn't place was at the head of them. Balrog, the old man, a war he couldn't win.

"- Legolas?" she broke into his thoughts.

Still he didn't answer.

And then he felt the depression in the mattress as she slowly crawled up beside. "Why can't you sleep, Legolas? Please, just tell me."

He dropped his eyes, staring at his knees. Nightmares…Ha. What an excuse.

A few minutes passed. Kristy curled up on the pillow against his side. She rested her weight on him. It took awhile for her to look up at him, and she wondered why he didn't just talk. _Why not?_ It was obvious he was upset. Hell, he couldn't even _sleep._ And still he blocked her out! He wouldn't even try.

Kristy chewed the inside of her lip, fidgeted a little awkwardly with a pillow…before edging forward and touching his hand. She circled his knuckles with a single fingertip, before carefully, tentatively tracing the edge of callous and the lines in his palm. She didn't say anything, and she didn't move.

And then her skin brushed a sensitive spot and he shivered a smile, snapping his fingers closed. Kristy jumped, but at the sight of his smile in the dark, she relaxed back again and smiled too.

Legolas was getting used to this…contact. It wasn't exactly what he craved... the intimate, everyday brush of consciousness, but it did do something to him. He just wasn't sure what yet. They sat in the dark a long while, watching the swaying shadows across the floor in companionable silence. Legolas leaned his head back, so tired, so tired…just never quite able to sleep.

And then, Legolas cracked one eye open. Kristine's hand was in his hair.

"Kristine?" he said quietly.

"Hm?"

He thought about it. "Never mind."

"So," she said softly, biting her cheek, nervously twisting her mouth into odd shapes. Legolas watched from the corner of his eyes, fascinated. It was so good to be with her like this, still and close. "penny for your thoughts?"

"What is a penny?" he murmured. Legolas watched her lips. He didn't worry about his eyes lingering where they shouldn't. There was nothing else he wanted to look at.

"Um, it's kind of like a nickel…o-only smaller." She said, unaware of his stare, but obviously aware of where she was. Curled against his side, staring out the window, idly rubbing her fingers through his hair. It made her skin a brighter pink.

"What is a nickel?" Legolas whispered. And he wondered - if by complete accident, he brushed that lip, accidentally touched it with some part of him - what would it feel like? What would she do? Would she pull away? Or would it be smooth and soft, and…

And Legolas cut off the thought with an angry retort. _Yes._ And she would slap you. You'd deserve it.

"It's money." Kristy said, shaking her head and exasperated. It made her hair swish over her shoulders and leaning over, Legolas caught a faint scent of lilac. She must have washed her hair. "The point is, what are you thinking about?"

"Many things." He murmured with a wry smile. And then, something told him just to relax a little. She asked. She _wanted_ to know. Legolas wouldn't trouble her with details, but he could get some of this off his chest just for tonight.

"Have you ever wondered…" he began slowly, still ignoring her hand as it gently fondled his head. Legolas didn't know why he didn't lean away. Maybe it was because he hated the feeling of his hair eight inches shorter. It was messy and unruly; he ran his fingers through it and it wasn't even quite long enough to braid.

After all, at least _someone_ could enjoy it.

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to…start life anew? From nothing, I mean, as another person?" he whispered.

Kristy thought about it. "I guess all of us do that, sometimes."

A little while passed. Legolas drew a blanket over his legs. He was cold and she slipped under it too. He thought about it awhile, almost didn't say the words lingering in his mouth. But very quietly, very reluctantly, he did.

"Kristine, would it…it matter if I told you I was not the person you thought I was?" he asked softly.

She didn't bother waiting this time. "I guess that depends." She smiled a little. "Don't worry, Legolas. I know who you are."

He sighed, looking down. "Well, that is good. For sometimes I do not."

"Oh, Legolas…" she murmured. He was so quiet, so tired. Kristy reached up, gently touched his pale face in the faint light, before tugging him closer. Legolas didn't resist. "What's the matter?" Kristy whispered into his hair. He closed his eyes and dropped his head, resting his forehead against her chest. He felt her heart beat…slow, quiet, rhythmic.

"I am a prince, Kristine." He whispered softly. Legolas slid his arms around her and sighed. He breathed in the lilac on her warm skin. Intoxicatingly good.

"I am the prince of my people, Kristine."

"I... know."

"You do?" he asked. At her slight nod, he scrunched his brows together.

Of course she knew. The damn woman knew everything.

"I don't know when I knew it, but you don't belong here." she whispered. "There's stories about you and your world. They say you're an elf. It says you're beautiful and magical, _fierce_. Perfect. There's nothing else to describe you."

A chuckle hummed in his throat. "I am not perfect, Kristy."

 _Kristy._

She looked down at his shaggy hair, stroking the back of his neck, wondering. All the time he'd been here, all those weeks of 'Kristine'. Nothing else, not a nickname or an endearment. It gave her a queer sort of smiley feeling.

"Not by far. And I should _be_ there for them, Kristine." he whispered. "There is war and darkness in my country; I know it. It bears down on my people like a shadow. They are afraid and they fight so valiantly. Ellon, elleth die every day. They shall think their prince deserted them in their hour of need, crumbled before the coming darkness! What hope is there for them?"

She looked away.

Legolas breathed, focusing on each individual sound: the ticking clock, the vent on the wall. "My father is a great king." He continued. He wasn't sure why he kept going. _But why not?_ For all he knew, he'd die here. He'd die here and no one save this girl would know how or why.

"He is a great and fearless leader." He whispered. "He has led them through good times and bad. No matter how the earth trembles and the skies fall, he stands tall. He would not be where I am. He would find a way… He would fight his way home no matter the cost, crush anything that barred his way. I am not that man, Kristine." He said softly. "I fear I will never be."

Kris didn't quite know what to say. Thinking of him as a prince was more than a little disturbing, yes. Knowing that he knew and remembered was more yet. But here, it really didn't matter. Boy, man, prince… The prince was just as lost and alone, boy, man or not. Whatever he was.

"When…if…I get back," he continued softer yet. "they will ask me how I stood here and could not find my way home. They will ask me how a leader of their own people could not lead himself."

She thought a long while. "You know, an old doctor once said something." Kristy said, gently fingering a strand of his hair in her hands, "Be who you are, because those who mind don't matter. Those who matter don't mind."

"Who was that?" he asked softly.

"Doctor Seuss."

"Hm. A wise and learned man." Legolas murmured.

She smiled harder. "I guess."

A few moments passed. "Kristine?"

"Please don't call me that." Kris sighed.

He blinked. "Why?"

It was a long moment before she answered. Legolas began to think she wouldn't at all. But eventually, she said, "I…I guess Mark was the only one who ever called me that."

"Who is Mark?" he asked curiously, staring into the dark and swaying shadows. He saw her hair move as she turned her head, and he felt her body still.

"Just some guy." She whispered.

"Lover?" he guessed.

Kristy almost laughed. It was a sad, ironic laugh. "I wish."

Legolas immediately regretted his words. He was only teasing. "But who is he?" he asked curiously.

"No one." Kristy let her fingers stay knotted in his hair a long minute, before bursting out in a whisper. "And you still haven't told me what's wrong with you!"

Legolas was silent a long while. "Even when you are there," he said softly, honestly. "…it feels like I am alone. That is what's wrong with me."

Legolas pulled back and sat up enough to look at her in the eyes. Kristy just blinked, obviously surprised at this admission. The elf frowned, trying to force out some of the feelings that made him feel so alone.

"Without your _fea_ and my own, it is like living in a glass box." He whispered quietly. "Always, I could feel the spirit, the _fea_ of others. I cannot understand why I miss it so."

Legolas slid his fingers tentatively through her hair, hooking it behind her ears. She touched his chin, worry etched all over her features. A part of him regretted saying it, and a part of him didn't. Suddenly, Kristine dropped her eyes and slid her arms around his shoulders, pressing herself against his bare chest. Legolas didn't protest.

Walls crumbled into dust and she felt raw emotion radiating off of him as his lungs moved in quick, deep breaths. _Gods, she was warm._ He ran his hands up and down her back. Chills followed his hand up her spine. Legolas rested his face against her ear, before dipping to press against her neck. Without thinking, he parted his lips and kissed it.

Kris flinched at the touch of his mouth and blinked, staring at the shadow of his skin in the dark. Legolas' pulse sped up to an almost breathless rhythm, before, as if it didn't happen, she relaxed again.

A little.

"Are you lonely?" Kristy whispered faintly.

He just smiled, not daring answer that. _How do you explain such a feeling of emptiness to her_ _?_ Worse, how could he explain said feeling evaporating with her arms around him."Who is Mark?" he asked instead.

"Nobody."

He smiled mischievously. "If you tell me, I will tell you a secret of my own. One that half my father's kingdom doesn't know!"

Kris scrunched her face, glancing up at his chin. "How's it a secret if half your dad's kingdom already knows?"

"Because I have gone to _great_ lengths to keep it hidden from the other half, including my oldest and closest friends."

"Oh, alright." She sighed. "But only because I'm such a sucker for a secret. You first."

Legolas mumbled darkly. "My father has, for all practical purposes, arranged a marriage for me."

Kristy jolted and pulled back, inches from his face. " _What_? I mean, why in God's name would he do that?"

Legolas smiled slightly. And suddenly, he lifted his chin to look at her. She ignored how close his face was to hers, glancing at his mouth every few seconds. He didn't seem to notice.

"Horeneith is the daughter of an old and dear friend to my father." Legolas explained. "Since I was born, you see, we were pledged and it was hoped that we would someday…consummate, that pledge."

Kristy tilted her head back further, eyeing him. "Do you plan to?"

Legolas snickered. "Not if I have anything to say of it."

"A real dog, huh?" she laughed.

"Dog?" he shuffled up to be level with her. "No. She is elf-kind, not canine."

"No, no. I mean she's ugly or something, right?"

At that, Legolas laughed hard, throwing his head back. "Ah, no! She is absolutely lovely, as all Elvar. How could you think otherwise?"

She just humphed. Their legs were tangled and she drew one comfortably up over his hips. His only response was to glance at her and she smirked. Sometimes, on rare occasions, she was positively adorable. He was feeling either brave or stupid because he drew one of her hands to his lips and kissed it.

Legolas sighed and looked out the window. As their words settled into comfortable silence, he let himself think about where he was.

The feeling was… queer.

Here he was in the middle of the night, a vast city outside. Yet he didn't feel like it. They were in a world all their own. Darkness engulfed them and he was ridiculously content, in the arms and warmth of a girl he barely knew. His sylvan side approved. The other half, his father's half, the Sindar… he could feel frowning on him with that cold, disapproving glare. He imagined just what his father would say. It showed weakness. Vulnerability. Defenselessness.

And then, unlike weeks…days ago, he decided he didn't care. He was here alone with no one to watch over him, no one to monitor his actions or his words. He'd do as he pleased.

So Legolas squeezed Kristy tighter and looked at her again.

"What?" she muttered, putting her hand on his chest. He couldn't decide if it was flirty or annoyed. Legolas just smiled, and he decided to run his hand up and down the smooth leg wrapped around his torso, under the sheets. He didn't care that she took in a short breath of surprise. He looked down.

"What's wrong?" she asked, with the same urgency he let bleed through his fingers. Every movement leaked his feelings and he tried to hide them. But it didn't work.

"How could I love anyone so perfect, anyway?" he avoided the question, slowly circling his head down, through her hair, down to her neck, breathing her in.

"Perfect?"

"Oh yes." Legolas smiled fondly, remembering. "She was always so…flawless. Even as children, she was so content just to sit at our studies and listen to the tutor. Her marks were always perfect too, and yet she'd never let me copy them!" Legolas laughed. "She refused to join the guard. That is why perhaps, we drifted apart. I drew closer to…others, others who fought with me like fire." Legolas trailed off.

In the blackness, Kristy missed the whisper of longing in his eyes as he murmured the last. "You were a _cheater,_ you mean?"

"Of course!" he forced himself to brighten. "How do you think I became so good with the bow?"

"I don't know. Practice?"

He nodded. "And time. Time away from studies. Now tell me who this 'Mark' is."

Kristy sighed. "He's just…just some guy. I used to work with him back when, and-and I guess he just never noticed me. He was my friend, that's it. He ended up marrying my sister. That's all."

"I see." Legolas said quietly. He thought about not saying a word, just letting her sit there with him in silence. But then, without even knowing why, he murmured. "Love stolen from you. Sister? Dwarf…little difference."

"Dwarf?"

"Aye, a dwarf." He said softly.

Kristy knew better than to ask. And so, Legolas exhaled a breath and let his head sink. It wasn't long later that slumber took him. Kristy didn't know what to make of his comment, and she didn't try. For the first time in weeks, he slept deep and undisturbed. Every time he started to wake up or a dark dream tried attacking, he felt Kristy's fingers on his skin or a warm breath on his cheek and it vanished.

0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

 **A/N: I hope you liked chapter nine, because Aragorn is coming and bringing a friend. Any questions or comments, please drop a review. :-)**


	11. Chapter 11

Legolas wore a loose buttoned shirt and dark cargo pants Thanksgiving night. Kristy had been in the bathroom for the last two hours getting ready.

"Kristine? Are you alright?" Legolas asked, knocking on the door.

"Fine, why?"

"Have you slipped into the drain? Are you unable to come out? The small hand is on six and the other is on 9, we'll be late."

A few minutes of quiet passed, and the door pulled open. "You're a pain."

Legolas smiled.

She walked past him in stiletto heels and a long chiffon skirt. He hardly ever saw her in a dress. By the time she'd gotten her purse and put on a coat, he was still staring.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I...nothing." he said quickly. "It's just, your dress."

Kris looked down. "What? Is it bad? Should I change?"

"No! No, I mean. You look...I, it is nice."

She narrowed her eyes at him. Did he just give her a compliment?

Legolas quickly covered himself. "Your shirt of course is as terrible as ever. Not unlike a harlot, I mean."

Kristy stared at him a second. He looked deadly serious, before his mouth twitched and he grinned at her. _Stupid elf._ Her black shirt clung to her shoulders and tucked into the belted waist of her skirt. She shrugged her arms and brushed it off.

"Whatever. Who cares what you think anyway."

But the entire drive there, she couldn't help thinking about it. He probably knew it too, because every time she glanced over at him, he had a smug little smirk on his face. A part of her enjoyed thinking of him as an elf. It explained some of his prudishness and old-fashioned ideas about women anyway.

"It isn't outside of the city, is it?"

Kris jumped a little at the sound of his voice. "Oh, no. My mom lives with my dad now. His house is up by the golf course."

"Gol- fcourse?" he mumbled.

"It's a field where rich old people with nothing else to do go to smack a ball around."

"I see."

Kris wasn't looking forward to tonight. She'd always lived in a small house south of the cities. She liked it there.

"Nervous about tonight?"

Legolas glanced over. "Should I be?"

The street wound through hills and past homes that looked like mansions lit in the sky.

"Well no, I don't know. It just might not be what you're used to is all." she said. Her dad was all about pomp and grandeur ever since the inheritance. "You know? All hoity-toity."

Legolas smiled a little. "I see." He didn't understand 'hoity-toity', but her snooty expression said it all.

Kris pulled up to a metal gate that slowly creaked open as the headlights broke through falling flakes of snow in the dark. The driveway curved for a half mile through winding gardens, trimmed hedges in the shapes of statues and trees. Kristy's heart sped up a little. Her hands clenched around the steering wheel.

"Calm down." he murmured. "Your tension is...palpable."

What's he doing with a word like palpable, anyway? "I'm trying."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." she said quickly. "It's just say my dad and I don't exactly...see eye to eye."

Legolas frowned. "He is shorter than you?"

"What? No! I mean we don't agree on certain things. And it seems like it always comes up when we get together like this."

Before he could answer, bright lights flashed in their faces as the house came into view. Legolas surveyed the lot. It was a big enough house, with marble pillars and a stone porch. It was old, with a vine trellis climbing up one side.

They were escorted inside by the valet. Kris sighed. "Home sweet home."

"Lovely!" came a woman floating over the floor to kiss Kristy's cheek.

She smiled. "Hey, mom."

"'Shannon', dear. It's Shannon. And who's this my sweet?"

"Um, this is my friend Luke. Luke? Shannon."

Legolas bowed at the waist. _Shit._

"He's from Sweden." Kris laughed, "he doesn't speak a lot of English."

She took just a moment to look him over. "Mm, Sweden? Ravishing, isn't he." her mother said under her breath.

Kristy turned almost as bright a pink as Legolas did.

"Um, Mom, he doesn't understand _that_ little."

Shannon blinked.

"I thank you, madam." Legolas said a little hushed.

"Well, you're quite welcome." she brightened up and slid her hand into the crook of his arm. "Come, come now! Your father's waiting."

Shannon led the way and Kris trailed behind, wondering if maybe bringing Legolas here wasn't the best idea after all. The dining room was decorated from one end of the hall to the other with wreaths and glowing autumn leaves. Tall windows displayed a sparkling, snowy black sky. Lights ran through the shrubbery outside and made the grounds sparkle.

"Hello Kristine. How's my girl?" Came from the table just as they appeared. "Running late again, that's my precious! Love you sweetie, so glad you could make it."

"Nice to see you dad." she smiled.

There were twenty or thirty people at the table. Some of them, Kris recognized as neighbors, mostly older neighbors with a taste for the finer things like silk and feathers. Others were cousins, nieces, nephews and a great aunt. Her sister was probably spending Thanksgiving with her new husband.

Kris pushed that thought out of her head.

And then she realized Shannon was guiding Legolas toward the head of the table and her father. _Dammit._ She couldn't let him get away, yet she wanted somewhere a lot less conspicuous to be. Oh well. Kris followed them and slipped down next to Legolas.

He glanced over. "How am I blending?"

"Right now, I'm as concerned with _my_ blending as yours."

Unexpectedly, Kristy felt rough fingers slip over her hand fisted under the table. Legolas' face didn't change, not even a blink, but Kristy felt a shivering rush of warmth run up her belly. And suddenly she took a breath, squeezed his fingers, and quickly put her hands safely atop the table.

The dumb elf wasn't exactly relaxing her.

Kristine's father stood and tapped his glass. "Friends, relatives! we're gathered here together to celebrate Thanksgiving, that wonderful feasting day where we remember what's really important to us. This beautiful house, the lovely lawn, safety and security, my brand new Porsche outside which you can see there!" the table laughed and her dad gestured out the window, before starting to sit. "And loved ones."

Cooks started bringing out food and soon, Kristy was shoveling down pork and scalloped potatoes.

"So, Kristine." Shannon broke in once the conversation was a steady hum in the room. Legolas noticed Kristy didn't look up. "Are you still working at that market downtown?"

Kris still didn't look up. "It's a specialty shop, mom. And yes I am."

"Oh dear, I do wish you would move out of that dreadful place and move back in with us." she sighed. "Working is so...tedious."

Legolas smiled.

"And with these dreadful storms, precious, we're moving to the summer house next week for the winter. It's not safe to stay here!"

"I'll be fine."

"Your mother's right." dad agreed. Kristy didn't know he was listening. "The dumbest thing you could do is stay up here. Well, I mean, you've done dumber things-" he laughed, "It would be _hard_ to be dumber than staying up here."

Kris snapped her head up. "Quit."

"What?" he glanced around, before snatching a grape and throwing it in his mouth. "I'm just saying, you should come down with us. We'll be near your old college, you'd be close enough to drive, start up where you left off? Another year and you'll have a bachelor's in chemical engineering. "

Kris shook her head. "Dad, just leave it. I'm not going."

"But dear-" Shannon started, and her husband raised a hand.

"Nevermind, nevermind. She won't listen. It's not as if we expected any different." her dad shook his head, and he dropped his voice to a mutter. "Chasing dreams, gallivanting around, quit-"

"Stop!" Kristy hissed, making a few heads turn. She glanced around then, inhaling a short breath and turning bright pink, before pushing her chair out. She knew it was just her nerves, but it seemed like the whole room went silent. "Please excuse me." she muttered. "I need some air."

Kris pushed her chair out and left the room, heading for the door. The chilly night air hit her right away as she let the oak door slam shut behind her. Snowflakes glowed in the dark, reflecting off tiny lights strung through the bare trees and she walked around the house to the gardens. She found a stone path and followed it to the center where a statue of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty rose out of a fountain sprinkled in fall leaves. It was the one thing she liked about this place.

Kris sighed, placing her hands on the stone and leaning over the water, looking at herself. Her face rippled and distorted in the faint light, making her look like a monster. A grouchy monster.

"I see what you meant."

Kris glanced over and Legolas' face appeared in the water.

"Yeah, well." she sighed. "I wouldn't have come if I'd known they were gonna bring _that_ up."

"Kristine," he said softly.

"Yeah?"

"What is college?" He hadn't gotten much out of their conversation, but he'd gotten that.

The woman chuckled. "It's an advanced school for adults. See, my parents wanted me to be an engineer. It wasn't my dream, but I didn't see another way. I didn't have any money; they did. But half way through my third year's term I met a...friend, and he made me realize I didn't have to listen to everyone else. All that mattered was me, what _I_ needed. I didn't wanna work in a lab. So I quit, worked a job for awhile and saved some money for- well, it doesn't matter. It didn't work out. Things happened. I ended managing Partha Lun for Corby, and I'm happy there."

Legolas watched her.

"Sorry." she mumbled. "Didn't mean to spill my guts on you."

"What was your dream?"

"It doesn't matter. You wouldn't understand." she said softly. "I'll tell you sometime, but I'm really not in the mood."

Legolas nodded slowly. He knew the feeling. Sometimes it seemed like the past was there for the simple reason of haunting you. "Are you alright?"

Kris looked down and nodded quickly. "Fine." she shrugged. "I'm not nuts about going back in there, but it's cold out here."

"How about we do something else then?" he smiled. "What would you like?"

She blinked. "Like... now?"

"Now."

"Um, well..." she spun around, looking at the trees as a gust of powdery snow whisked over the grass and clung to her hair. "I want to," she drew it out. "Ice skate!"

"Ice skate?"

"Yeah, you'll see." she grinned. "It's been forever since I've gone. And its still early!" she grabbed his arm and started dragging him back to the door. "Come on!"

Legolas laughed. She was so bright and alive it was intoxicating. It was a precious holiday to her, and yet she'd been acting like she was going to a funeral all day. It was a half an hour by the time they changed and got to the rink. There weren't many people there, and Kristy didn't mind.

"Lace em up tight." she said, before jumping out onto the ice. To Legolas' shock, she flew forward and spun in a pirouette, spitting up ice shards into feathery flakes.

It was a small outdoor rink in the middle of the park. Tiny white lights lit the bare trees and a line of laughing children almost knocked her down. But she leapt onto her right skate and ducked under their clasped hands. Kris made one loop around the rink and came back, spinning around to skate backward as she came up to the rail.

"Come on."

He glanced at her gloved hands and opted for the rail instead. It didn't look hard. If a somewhat clumsy girl could do it, certainly so could an elven pr-... _Damn_.

Legolas slammed on his back and gasped.

Kristy broke out laughing.

The elf scowled up at her. "What is so funny?"

She snorted and hiccuped on her own giggle, before offering a hand. This time he took it. "These shoes are-" he kicked out violently and almost fell back again. "impossible!"

"Just relax." she grinned. "Hold onto me, look ahead and just...push." she shoved off and glided forward a few feet, before looping around and offering her hands. Legolas held onto the rail with white knuckles, before carefully, falteringly reaching out to grasp her fingers. He almost let go the instant she pushed her skates out and he slid forward.

"Who in Eru's name invented this." he muttered. He could run, fight, dance, or anything else on ice in the Greenwood with proper boots. "Walking on razors."

Kristy gave him room to move while never letting go of him. Pretty soon he was carefully, haltingly scooting along beside her in giant figure eights. It was an inexorable thrill. He couldn't help grinning.

"You're really good at this." Kris laughed, fingerless gloves still holding onto him as they stood under starlit branches on the sidelines. A cluster of tiny lights glowed amber and white just over the elf's head, woven into the naked branches. As Kristy looked up at him, a breath of heat ran down her neck. And it was then she realized he was staring at her with such a strange almost...gentle expression in his eyes, she couldn't help blushing and looking down.

"What."

"You are beautiful on the ice." he admitted softly.

She smiled harder.

"I could watch you all night." he said without knowing why. "You are positively...graceful." Frost from the ice dust clung to her cheeks and sparkled in her hair. Legolas didn't feel self-conscious or bashful at all. He just looked down into her averted eyes, fingers laced together, and he admired the wet dew drops in her lashes. Probably the wine from dinner and this silly human body. "You are beautiful." he murmured softer, either way.

Kris took a sharp breath and snapped her chin up, whipping her eyes over his face. "What?" But there wasn't even a shadow of goading, or mischief, or even a teasing sparkle in his eyes. She expected him to take it back any second, or follow up with a witty retort. Legolas hardly ever used that word, at least not for a person.

He smiled slyly.

"Oh shut up." she turned a fierce red and pushed away, before spinning around and gliding backward. "Come on! Everyone's leaving." Kris grinned. She couldn't help it. A compliment from him was a snowball in summer and it felt good. Really good.

Legolas just shook his head and followed after. He felt ungainly on the ice next to her, barely keeping a straight course while she dipped and wove fluidly over the white. She was like an ice princess in a child's story.

"I used to come here every single day after school." she said dreamily as he came up on her at the gate. "I remember my arms and legs black and blue from all the bruises." she laughed. "But soon I could do it better than I could walk. Sometimes I wish I could just skate everywhere... no tripping, no stumbling. It'd be nice."

Legolas shook his head, pushing her off the rink. "Go on. This is unsettling enough without-"

As if on cue, Kristy's skate caught on the step and before he could grab her, she plummeted face first into the snowy grass. He gasped.

"Kristine, I..." he broke off. He didn't mean to push her that hard!

And a second later she was rolling over on her back laughing like a madwoman.

"I'm sorry! I had no idea-"

"It's not your fault." she wiped her nose and sputtered, still spitting snow. "It's not your fault."

"Eru help," he sighed, helping her stagger to her feet. He brushed chunks of snow from her hair and caught her cheek in a warm hand. It was icy cold. "Are you alright? You are shaking."

"Fine." she breathed. "I'm... fantastic actually."

Legolas stared at her, glancing over her face under a dark sky as wet flakes dropped onto her nose. He wanted to touch them off, but she was already so close to him...so close he didn't know who was holding onto who. But it didn't last long. Before he knew it, Kris spun around and stomped a shortcut through a snowbank toward the parking lot. There was a sidewalk, but she was too busy shaking her head and muttering to notice. Something about snow and magicians...?

Kris sighed and pulled the car door shut after them. Legolas did it on purpose, she knew it. Staring at her, putting her under a spell, making her clumsy and tongue-tied like a schoolgirl!

If it wasn't so exhilarating, it would make her angry.

It was a quiet drive home, but comfortable. Legolas was humming the tune to a cereal commercial with a silly little smile on his face.

. . . .

Late that night Kristy was in Legolas' bed-couch watching old _I Love Lucy_ re-runs because Legolas couldn't sleep. He'd asked her to keep him company for just an episode or two; that was two hours ago. She didn't mind. Shenzie curled up on the bottom of the bed, passed out. Lucy was just dancing around a stage in raggedy gypsy costume when Legolas let out a gentle snore. He was propped up in pillows with his head back, shrouded in darkness.

She almost smiled, switching off the screen. What a strange man.

Slowly, carefully, Kristy untangled her arms from his and took a few seconds to pull her legs out from under the dog. Shenzie wouldn't budge anyway. She was just about free when suddenly, fingers grabbed her wrist.

Kris took a sharp breath.

"Stay."

Kristy looked at him. A square of white light on the wall just over his head set him aglow in the dark. He didn't smile at her, nothing. The only thing he said was. "I can't sleep without you."

She didn't know what to say. It's not that she minded sleeping in the covers with him, but that he needed it? She knew him well enough to know that he hated weakness, and admitting it even more.

He stared at her, wondering what she was thinking. He wondered if she didn't enjoy his touch, if she was uncomfortable, if he asked too much of her. She'd already helped him more than he could imagine. He wondered if she thought it improper. But a moment later she slid back under the sheets and a second after that, came up close to his face. He just looked. Soon she tilted her head, a smile tugging at her lips, and kissed his forehead through a shag of hair.

"Kay."

Well that was that. It'd been a long day. She was about to drop when he slid an arm out where her head came down. He shifted closer so he cradled her in the crook of his arm, and he let his other hand slip over hers.

"Legs?"

"Hm."

She was quiet a moment, forcing her body to relax, before she glanced up. His lashes were so close she couldn't focus on them. But he looked at her lips in the dark.

"Thank you for coming with me today. I was dreading it, honestly. But I had a really fun holiday with you."

He smiled a little, and it faded. "You're welcome."


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hello again! So you might have noticed there was quite a time-gap between the last chapter and the one before that, several weeks. So just a heads-up, there might be a chapter (or two) inserted in there later. I'm not sure when, but I'll let you know. Nothing big or momentous, just more Legolas getting a grip on our world…Thanksgiving, human nightclub girls, maybe his weak, easily-intoxicated body in a bar! We'll have to see. Let me know if you like/dislike the idea.

Anyway, just felt the ball had to get rolling on the story. So here it is. :))

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 _Tick…tock…tick…_ Kristy breathed gently, buried deep in the covers. She was in her own bed; a rare thing these days. Legolas had fallen asleep in her arms and she'd held him a long while into the night, listening to his quiet breathing. Even in her dreams, she remembered his head in her lap, stroking his hair… And she smiled in her sleep.

December nineteenth, Friday morning: it was another work day. The streets were quiet for once. They let no cars out on the streets at night. And suddenly, Kristy stirred. It wasn't the alarm clock, wasn't the TV. It wasn't traffic either.

 _A shout, a short cry…_

The door was open and she blearily cracked her eyes open, just enough to catch a glimpse of the living room. The blinds were shut. It was still dark out and…and Legolas! Kris froze.

He was thrashing and screaming.

Kristy flew upright, bouncing on the bed wide-eyed. _Legolas._ She scrambled out from between the sheets and on the way out, smacked her head on the door. It was still throbbing when she staggered into the living room, holding her face, and she fumbled to turn the lamp on. He was sweating and panting, shouting violent curses in English and Sindarin. The sheets were a mass of fists and writhing body. His chest glistened with sweat.

"L-legolas, it's allright!" She hissed, wincing in the bright light of the lamp. But his hand flew and snagged the chord. Instantly, the whole thing crashed to the floor and the bulb shattered. Kristy grimaced. There wasn't any light in the apartment. "Legolas, stop!"

Kristy shoved the thing aside and got over, kicking away shards of glass. Legolas was going to hurt himself if he didn't wake up. The woman climbed up on the bed and grabbed his bare shoulders, forcing him down. His skin was hot and damp and his chest heaved wildly. Shorn hair flew over his face.

"Legolas!" she thought she had him, panting,. But it was a mistake.

He was too strong.

One arm flew up and smashed Kristy in the face. She landed hard and she gasped, feeling automatic tears swell in her eyes. Blood filled her mouth where she bit her tongue…. But she swallowed it down and shook her head.

"Legolas, calm down dammit! It's alright." Kristy urged, trying to suck the blood from her teeth to speak. She didn't dare touch him again. "You're all right! Wake up. Wake _up._ "

And something happened. The man thrashed and froze, trembling violently, eyes fluttering open. He couldn't breathe. He was taking in gulps of air like he was drowning. Kris didn't risk reaching out, leaning on her knees beside him.

But she didn't have to.

"Kristy?" His body jolted and he gasped. The knowledge and fear of what happened shot through him like a bolt of lightning, and Legolas couldn't grasp it yet. He fumbled for her. "Kristy…" he pleaded without knowing why, and before he knew it, he felt her skin under his hands. Blessed relief. He felt his face in her hair and he grabbed on fiercely.

"Legs…it's alright," she choked, stroking his damp hair in her hands. Her eyes shot wildly over the wall and he fairly crushed her. He hugged her like a lifeline. "It-it was just a bad dream." She managed. "It's over. I-I promise. It's all over."

Legolas shook his head 'no', but he didn't let go. He refused. Kristy engulfed his neck in her arms and she felt fear, terror, pain. She felt his wild heartbeat crushed under her body, gradually slowing…pounding through his veins.

Legolas' fingers were digging painfully into her back. But the world was spinning and he couldn't see. He squeezed his eyes shut and grabbed Kristy's hair in fistfuls, burying his face in it. It smelled so good…so warm and fresh. It soothed him and he breathed deep, trying to think. He didn't shake so violently and Kris couldn't pull away. He tightened when she tried.

So, very… very carefully, Kristy caressed his silky, damp hair, whispered soft words of comfort to him. Every muscle in his bare back was rigid, and slowly, it began to ease. She rubbed his shoulders in slow circles, cradled his neck, hugged his body just as tight. She swayed back and forth with him, slowly, gently.

And it worked.

Legolas gradually eased back to look at her. He gripped a handful of her camis and whispered, "Kristy, we have to go. We must leave _now._ This very instant; there's not a minute to waste!"

Legolas felt the warmth of her body and her face was flushed. It clung to his cold skin like fire in the chilly night.

"What are you talking about?" she murmured, forcing her voice to stay calm. She'd never seen him like this. It frightened her. Not since that first night so long ago, so long, when he was sick and delirious, calling for help, for someone…anyone. It was like he was a different person. That man was controlled and schooled. This one was terrified.

Legolas clutched her face, stroked her cheeks hard with his thumbs. "Listen to me, Kristy. Listen. If you have ever trusted me in your life, ever believed me in anything, believe me now. We _must_ leave." He was still shaking, but he didn't care. What the golden woman had shown him, he had to act on it. "Take your things, Kristy, whatever you need. Food, clothes…I know not how far we must go."

Kristy grimaced. "Oh Legolas, what are you talking about?" she reached up and took his face in her hands. She tilted her head, petting his hair back, and looked deep in his eyes…They were black with fear. "This is ridiculous. Pack up and _leave?_ I can't just jump in the car and drive off. There's work and-and-"

"Kristy." he urged. "Please. There's no time for this now. We must go north of the city, far north. Nothing will be right unless I can get there. I will tell you where to go. I will not fail; just _trust_ me now _._ "

Kristy couldn't move. She could barely breathe. Indecision dropped through her like a lead weight and she just sunk, furrowing her face. "I…I don't know. I can't, Legs."

"You can."

"But I don't understand!"

"I know, Kristy." he whispered even fainter. "I do not either, little one."

 _Little one?_ What was happening? Was the world gone mad?

And then, Kristy felt a light brush of his fingers under her face. He carefully lifted her chin, so close…so close could feel the faint, quick quivering breaths she took.

The very world seemed to fade out and she peered upward, Legolas' face so perfect, so…flawless she couldn't even breathe. _Why was he like this now?_ She couldn't understand. They bantered, yes, fought over silly things just for the sake of it. Teased each other even when the language gap made it just plain silly… _Why was he so close?_ Why did he ask her this?

Legolas held her; if he'd wanted to do anything… touch her, kiss her… he could have. One hand slid through the warm locks of her hair and the other her body, engulfed in warmth and darkness. She was familiar and becoming something to him…precious. He could have.

But he didn't.

It was the first time he felt that he didn't need the presence of her _fea._ Legolas leant down and pressed his forehead to hers. He didn't need it to know her. He could tell what she was thinking just by feeling her, breathing her in. He had the heat of her skin, the pulse under his hands, hammering out a breathless rhythm. She was frightened. There was no question.

"Trust me." Legolas murmured.

"And what'll happen…i-if I do? Pick up and get out of here?" she whispered. "What'll happen then?"

"I do not know. But all will be answered in time. Our problems will be solved."

"How in hell do you _know_ that?"

"I know because she promised me." He said more adamantly.

"… _she?_ " Kristy blinked, agape and pulling back. Now there was a 'she'?How many _she's_ did he know?

"Yes." He insisted, a plea and a command. "Now, will you trust me, or will you not?"

And whether she did or not, Kristy stupidly couldn't say 'no'. She hissed a sharp breath through her teeth and growled. "You'd better be right about this, elf."

Legolas forced a brilliant grin and slapped her leg. "Then hurry! There's no time."

Kristy muttered into thin air. Legolas had already leapt off the bed, grabbed his clothes off the floor and dashed into the bathroom.

"I'm gonna regret this." She whispered in the dark. But she took off after him. As soon as they were in the car, he was going to explain every single bit of this in detail.

"Legolas!" she dragged her suitcase out and hurriedly stuffed everything she could find into it. _What to get?_ Food, yes. Clothes, a coat, make-up…obviously. Her hands were jittering and hot blood raced through them. "What about Shenzie, Legolas? She can't stay here alone."

"Leave her."

"What _?_ I'm not leaving her in a panicking city alone!"

"Fine."

Kristy muttered. "And, what about the curfew?" she snapped. "No one's allowed on the streets before five o'clock in the morning."

It was black outside. Her lamp was dim and she worked in the dark, making her feel like a criminal on the run.

" _Legolas_." She insisted, diving to her knees and dragging boots out from under the bed. She didn't bother shutting the door to change her pants. Legolas was in the bathroom anyway, and she had a hard time yanking them on. "What do we do about the _curfew_?"

"What is a coor-few?" he hissed, appearing in the doorway.

Kristy pulled her belt buckle and bounced onto the bed, trying to zip up black boots. Her fingers were shaking though and it stuck. She fought with the zipper angrily, yanking on it, before Legolas darted in, dove to the floor, and pulled them up for her. "You know," she said, stuffing clothes in the bag as he did. "…the time limit for civilians. Remember when we had to sneak just to get back after Laura's party?"

Legolas groaned, snatching a bag from her floor and whirling out with it. He packed extra clothes…and a hair comb. Kristy almost laughed, but not quite. "I don't care. It is nearly five o'clock anyway. We have no time to wait."

"Okay, okay…" She mumbled, stalking to the kitchen with a bag.

Kristy threw in any non-perishable food she could find…beans, water, canned soup. Ever since the power failures, Kristy got two independent lamps from the store and packs of batteries. She took those too. Candles, soap, lots of matches, toothbrush… and a totally worthless item just for her: a speaker to plug her phone in.

Well if she was gonna be wandering into who-knew-where with just food and clothes, at least she'd have music!

"Listen Corby," Kristy said, dialing his number and leaving a voice mail. "I-I can't come into work today. I gotta leave town. I'm not sure when I'll be back either, but I'll try to get to the store by Monday morning. I swear. I swear I will."

When she hurried out, struggling with two bags, pocketing the phone and her coat, Legolas was already waiting. He paced back and forth impatiently like a caged tiger. And his pale, unruly hair was tousled.

" _There_ you are." He snapped, snatching the two cases from her like they weighed nothing. Kristy was too busy fighting with her coat to comment on it. Besides, his fierce, fearful eyes didn't look up to teasing compliments. "Hurry up…Move." He swung the door open and they walked quickly down the hall. Shenzie bounded ahead. Legolas kept the bags under one arm and his hand firmly in the small of her back, rushing her onto the elevator.

They didn't have to wait.

"Are you going to explain _any_ of this to me, now?" Kristy spun around in the lift. She snatched her suitcase back and in the process, Legolas kicked the button for the basement. "I had to call Corby, you know." She snapped. "I had to tell him that I can't come into work. _Again._ Do you know what that means?"

Shenzie started whining.

Legolas didn't answer. He just clamped his mouth in a thin line and braced himself as the doors slid shut and they started to drop. He hated elevators. "Quiet, dog!"

Her whining turned into incessant yelps.

"We have no time, Kristine. I'll tell you what I can when we-"

Kristy froze. "...Legolas?"

Before he could even answer, the flickering lights overhead came to a violent, crunching end. The screech squealed through the shaft and they…they were picking up speed! Legolas threw the bags down and grabbed the wall, bracing himself. Kristy screamed and the lights flared. Something was happening. The lights burned brighter yet and Kristy hit into the wall, holding on. They were in a free fall, plummeting earthward.

"Hold on!" He shouted through the squealing cables.

And then, with a violent slam it was over.

Above protective glass, the lights shattered into pieces. The lift stopped. Kristy flew down with the impact, banging her head on the floor. Everything was dark. She couldn't see. Her stomach was still three floors up, and she coughed, struggling not to vomit.

"Kristy!" came a sharp whisper. She heard Legolas push the suitcase aside and he felt over the floor for her. "Hurry. Get up."

" _Damn_ you, Legolas!" she struggled off the hard wood, and with a rush of adrenaline, hit his hand off. Legolas withdrew, frowning.

"Are you all right?"

Kristy cradled her head in one hand. "What do you think?"

"I cannot see you."

"Well, besides being stuck in a deserted elevator? Great. Just fabulous." It was pitch black, empty dark space everywhere. She tried to see, but she could barely even make out Legolas' silhouette. "Oh, what did you have to get us in this stupid elevator for?"

"It wasn't my fault!" He protested.

"Well, it certainly wasn't-"

"- Ssh! Quiet." he interrupted. "Listen."

So she did… Reluctantly. And pushed Shenzie's wet nose out of her face.

… _Sirens?_ Something, whatever happened here, was definitely happening out there. The sounds were all too familiar. Once was once too often. Oh...it couldn't be, not again!

But it was.

"What-"

Legolas clapped a hand over her mouth. "Ssh!"

She almost bit his hand out of reflex. She didn't have a chance though, even if she wanted to.

The ground was trembling outside and lights would be flashing, windows flaring in a brilliant power surge, overloading and snapping out. Police would be everywhere. The army already declared martial law and they'd already confiscated every gun in the city. _What more could happen?_ Was she going to have to run through a panicking city again? The storms were back and they were heading straight long into it!

That stupid elf was going to get her killed. She didn't want to do it again. She _couldn't._ Kristy hissed, frustration fizzing over the brim and she said. "Shit. I'm not going out there Legolas, and you can't fucking _make_ me!"

"Watch your tongue." Legolas snapped and she clamped her mouth shut angrily. "I am not making you do anything."

"Oh? Oh really, you're not?"

"I am going myself, _Kristine,_ whether you come or not. If you want to stay here, then bemy guest! I'm not stopping you."

Kristy glared into the darkness where she knew he was. And then, pursing her mouth in frustration, she muttered. "…only because you know I'm not letting you go out there alone."

"Yes." He said, letting his breath slow. Then, he said quieter, letting a smile tug at his mouth. "…I _do_ know that. And I am glad."

"Yeah, well," Kristy glanced down, rubbing her ankle, "how do we get out of here, anyway?"

Legolas shook his head, getting up and feeling for the doors. Then, he braced himself and pried his fingers between the metal. There was an instant of quiet, and then a _creak_ came and he pulled them apart. Legolas squinted up. There was a gap about a foot and a half wide, just enough room to squeeze through. Faint light strained through the gap.

"We're between floors, Kristy. But I think there's enough space to get through the doors. Come here."

Kristy got up off her knees. A spurt of pain came up her left ankle and she winced, before limping over. It was just twisted. "What do we do about the luggage?"

Legolas spun around, as if remembering, before reaching to push the two small bags up and over. They could barely see the carpet of the tenth level, and only the third bag wouldn't fit through the gap. It was too big. "What is in this?" he asked.

"Um…food?" Kristy guessed.

"We do not need it." he tossed it away and it landed with a _bang._ It didn't matter. "I can hunt for us. Hurry up!" he beckoned impatiently. "We have to move _._ "

"Well how am I going to get all the way up there?" she protested, craning her neck back. "I can't even reachit."

"Give me your leg. I will boost you."

"You're not gonna lift me!" She spluttered, mostly because she wasn't crazy about putting her boot in his hands. "Lemme stand on the suitcase."

Legolas almost sighed. "Do not flatter yourself, Kristine. As if you were too much for me?"

"Oh," she clenched her fists, fighting indecision. " _Fine_."

He took the back of her knee, and in an instant, he hefted her up to the opening. Kristy landed on her belly with a grunt, and he managed to push her through the narrow gap. It was a tight squeeze, but manageable.

Up above, Kristy dropped down on her heels and her heart hammered through her veins. A string of faint yellow bulbs lit the dark hall, reserve power in the basement. Shenzie scrambled through on her haunches. Even in the frightening dark though…she had to laugh. Legolas leapt up after her, and he had to twist and push to get his shoulders through.

"It's a good thing you're skinny, Legs."

Legolas grimaced, pulling himself out on his arms. "Keep quiet."

They slammed the trunk shut and climbed into the little silver car, down in the parking lot a few minutes later. Shenzie was piled in the back seat, whining and barking. So they drove down the dark, flashing city streets as fast as possible in the pounding rain. Sirens were wailing and storm clouds cracked across the skies.

"Can you not go any faster?" he whispered, "If this Pricks cannot make it through, we must walk and it will be too late!"

"Pricks?" she grimaced, before shaking her head. "It's _Prix_ , Grand Prix, and it'll make it. You just worry about those road blocks. Plus, _I'm_ not walking anywhere. You better hope this works."

Legolas buckled up and gripped the restraints. They were almost to the city limits. And if he made a reply to that, it would probably just make things worse.

And suddenly, the car slowed. Up ahead, broad beams of yellow light shot from tall masts. Kristy gasped. Soldiers were everywhere, army soldiers, running back and forth at the station. It was chaos. She stared through the windshield. Rain pounded the glass and the wipers frantically tried to clear it.

Great.

A guard station had a roadblock set up; police guarded the fence! Kristy slammed on the brakes and swerved before they could see her. Men were running back and forth, a voice barking out orders and blaring through a loud speaker. She pulled into an alley, panting.

"Legolas," she hissed. "I don't care what kind of dream you had, we can't get through _that_!"

"We have to." He insisted. "Just drive through."

"Are you nuts? They'll arrest us!"

"Not if you refuse to stop. Just keep going. Don't slow."

Kristy shook her head. The rain was heavy and there was confusion; it was true. It's possible she could race through, break the flimsy wooden block. _But what about coming back?_ What about cameras? They'd get her license plate and have every law enforcement officer on alert for miles.

"Alright," she panted, gripping the steering wheel, thinking hard. "But we gotta black out the front windows, they're un-tinted, and cover the license plates."

"Very well. Make it fast."

Legolas jumped out of the car and got the blanket from the back seat. Under the cover of night, rain and buildings…he ripped it in two pieces for the license plates, while Kristy used his jacket and hers to push up against the inside of the side windows. Rain streaked down his face and hammered on the roof. They slammed the door shut, pinning the coat against the door seal, and before he even buckled, Kristy stomped on the gas and swerved out into the open.

"Duck." She said. They only poked up again long enough to make sure no one jumped in the way. And then…the guard station coming up fast, shouts of panic, shouts to stop… the bumper slammed into the wood rod and shattered in a hundred pieces.

"Move!" Legolas shouted and his head slammed into the seat. Kristy almost lost control. They hit and bounced off the glass, exploding. "Don't stop!"

And she didn't.

Tires squealed on wet pavement and they broke out onto the highway, reaching fifty…sixty…seventy miles per hour. They were free. Spirals of white lightning struck earth, lit up the night, pure power…and the city was in panic. The men didn't have a chance to reach their trucks or give chase. By the time the soldiers stationed at the border could catch up, Kristy turned off the highway, dug out her phone, and used the GPS to find the nearest open freeway.

Safe.

"Sweet Mänwe…" Legolas breathed. Water ran from his hair, into his eyes and he blinked furiously.

Somehow, he didn't actually think it would work! He didn't understand so many things about this world! A part of him thought those men could just reach out, snare them in a net, shoot instantly and send them tumbling into a ditch. It shocked him more than he thought it would.

"I suppose…" he said quickly, gripping his seat and staring at the streaming freeway rushing past. "…I suppose the men of your world are just that, after all. Men."

"Nobody's perfect." she agreed.

Legolas cracked the door, pulled his coat back in, and slammed it shut. He realized he was smiling. _Smiling._

"What are you grinning like a damn Cheshire cat for?" she snapped the instant she realized it. "We could have been _killed_ back there. You think they call martial law for nothing? Think it's just a big game to them?"

Legolas forced the smile from his face, shaking his head. Kristy was deadly serious. Her voice said so. "No, of-of course not."

"Then what are you laughing for?" she turned her head and Legolas blinked in surprise.

Kristy was grinning like mad. He'd never seen such a wild gleam in her eyes... Her teeth were sparkling red like a wolf on the run, and he could see the tip of her tongue. It was bleeding, staining her lips red…and still she grinned! Rain pounded the windshield and he blinked, realizing she turned back to the sleet with a more serious expression.

And Legolas broke into barely restrained, nervous laughter.

"Nothing to laugh about?" he chided. "Perhaps not, but it feels good."

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that." She growled felinely. "Those stupid road blocks, stupid lines, _stupid,_ stupidtraffic jams and their regulations!" She hit the steering wheel in pent up, released frustration. " _Damn_ it! We're going to have to do that again sometime."

Legolas disagreed, but he didn't say so. She didn't want to do it again either…and Legolas knew it.

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"So, what's all this about?" Kristy said quietly, once the rain subsided some and the frantic beating of the windshield wipers slowed. Traffic was nonexistent; just the white high beams glowed down the freeway.

Legolas could breathe easy now. He undid his seatbelt and slid down in the seat, stretching his long legs in the small space. The smell of the car was familiar to him now and he breathed it in. He felt the wheels under him thrumming against the pavement, speeding them along…closer and closer to where he hadto go.

"I had a dream." Legolas opened his eyes just a slit. His heart was slow and quiet, thinking. But in the small confines of the car, Legolas felt her tense beside him.

"A dream…"

"Yes." Legolas said softly. "But not just any dream. I saw the Lady of Light. She came to me."

Kristy didn't answer. She just stared at the road ahead.

"I've seen the Lady of the Wood but once in my long life, and that was when we journeyed to Lorien. The rest, I cannot tell you. For that journey is secret."

"Secret journey?" Kristy burst out in dry laughter. "Legolas, anyone who's read that book knows what your 'secret journey' is, _and_ that evil ring.'"

Legolas snapped his chin up. "Book? What book? What do you speak of?"

Kristy sighed. "Never mind. It probably wouldn't be good for you to read it." she focused in the dark, staring through the windshield at the dark, rushing road, before saying softer. "Now tell me what this supposed 'light lady' wanted."

"Supposed _?_ I tell you, it is the _truth_." Legolas shuffled forward and turned to face Kristy, folding one leg up under him. "Listen now. Lady Galadriel can speak, through her mind, to anyone she wishes. She wields one of the Rings, an elven ring of power. Do you see?"

"I remember something like that." Kristy muttered. "What about it?"

"I have lived many years, Kristine. The rift opened and with the power of that ring, she kept it open long enough to explain it thus. This pathetic human body can barely register the centuries, the things I have seen. Lady Galadriel returned everything to me, all that was left…even the journey here. That was what I relived when you had… difficulty, waking me."

"That doesn't explain why we're out here, Legolas!" she broke in, before sighing, shaking her head. "You still haven't told me why we _crashed_ through that barrier, why we're taking off into the middle of nowhere, and-and some psychic, spirit lady got into your head. _Why,_ Legolas?"

The man just sighed. "Calm down." If she was this upset now, what would she do when she heard what he had to say? Legolas wasn't looking forward to this. "…and can we speed up?" he glanced to the speedometer. It read seventy.

"Oh sure." Kris growled, accelerating slowly until it hit eighty. "Why not? I can break the law for you, _lie_ for you. Why not speed, too?"

Legolas was about to say something back, but his words froze half way out. _She was upset._ He stared at her eyes as they focused on the road, hard and tense. She was upset… And she was right. Of course she was right!

She had done so much for him, risked so much. But there wasn't anything he could do about that. Not now.

"I know you have made sacrifices for me, Kristine." Legolas mumbled quietly, staring at her. He listened to the dark and the crash of wind buffeting against the windows. And then, dropping his eyes, he let himself feel guilt. This was all his fault. True…he didn't exactly ask to come here. But he did drag Kristy into this.

And now they weren't alone.

"I'm sorry." the woman said even quieter. "I didn't mean that."

"No," he stared at his fists, slowly rubbing his knuckles. "It is I who should be sorry." then he looked up. "But there's nothing I can do about that, Kristy. Hear what I have to say?"

She exhaled slowly, sucking her bottom lip, and then nodded.

Legolas took a deep breath and turned his eyes to the front window. He told her every memory he had of Galadriel's vision.

"A vast sea of stars was thrown at my feet." he began. "She came to me dressed in moonlight and silver. Her hair was as gold and warm as the sun, her eyes like shining diamonds in the night. Lady Galadriel was as beautiful as that first night we came to her in the wood."

Kristy glanced sidelong. _Beautiful?_

"We came to her dirty, tired, bedraggled. We had lost one very…very dear to us. But they were as shining beacons of hope to us. Ah, Gimli was struck by her beauty then. _Hopelessly_." he added for good measure, and she frowned, but didn't comment. "It was just a few days following that night when we arrived. There were _yrch_ attacks to their wood and the Marchwarden, Haldir, he left to drive them away. I went with him, just to help and…and that is when it happened. I felt so useless. I wished to help clear the borders! We were outside of Her protection. The Elven ring of power could do nothing to stop it."

"So the storm hit, you fell in. Boom! You're here." Kristy waved a hand. She was struggling to keep her eyes on the road and find eyeliner at the same time. All that talk about elf beauty made her glad it was dark out. That dumb elf was used to supermodels. "Now tell me why we're here, huh?"

"Well, Aragorn naturally heard wild tales of what happened to me. He went with one of the Lady's guard, I know not who, to search for me. They waited where the guards told them, and… and he is here."

"Aragorn?" Kristy gasped. " _Here?_ Th-the one in the book? The king, the one who came into that Rivendell place with the half-size guys? The one who fought off those scary witch things!"

Legolas grimaced. "Who has been relating this story to you, Kristy?"

She shrugged. "Don't blame me. I was half-asleep."

"Yes, he is the very same… He is also my closest friend, and he has not forgotten." Legolas glanced out the window. "He is here for me."

"Yeah? To do what?" she asked, before a disturbing thought hit. "And more importantly, blame who? He's not going to think I kidnapped you or something, will he?"

Legolas rolled his eyes, an annoying habit he watched hundreds of faces do since coming here. "Give the man credit. He is a Dunedain and he is incredibly wise, born to the race of men…" he lifted his chin, "But I've forgiven him that. After all, not everyone can be born elf-kind."

Kris scoffed. She awkwardly hit him, but he just blocked it with an arm and pushed her off. The movement jarred the steering wheel to the speed bumps on the side of the road, and with a vengeful smile, she let it. To her shock though, Legolas didn't grab his seat or even curse. He just smiled easily.

"You must take the next right you can find."

"You're getting too comfortable here." She muttered, switching the heater on and moving into the right lane. She remembered when he tried to jump out of the car at that sensation, thinking it was going to 'explode'.

Too bad.

And just then, she noticed it was no longer rain coming down in curtains… It was snow. Kristy blinked. The temperature gauge read 29o Fahrenheit.

Legolas saw it too. "Snow." He murmured. The smile vanished from his face and his voice was low and hard. "It is cold." He said even quieter. "Too cold. But…the forest earth is warmer than your city. He will be sheltered longer there."

Kristy glanced over. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Take another right." He said instead of answering. "Hurry, here. Turn right."

She slowed down and did as he asked, and from then on, she could only follow directions. Legolas was concentrating; she couldn't break it again.

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Kris stood out in the snow. Icy wind curled her breath and shivered through the trees. They were in the middle of a vast woods, and she stared at the stiff form of Legolas' back. All they managed to find so far was an old, deserted cabin. The car was parked in its overgrown, twisting driveway, and right away, Legolas had bolted off into the woods. She had to run to keep up with him.

Now they were at least a quarter mile into the wilderness.

"Anything?" she asked. Shenzie, a gold blur, was streaking through the woods barking. No help.

And no answer.

"Do you even know what you're lookingfor, you elf?" she bit in the cold.

It was absolutely _freezing._ The wind was picking up and if they were going back to the cabin before the second wave of storm clouds hit, they'd have to start now. They were rolling and coiling on the north horizon like black, rumbling beasts.

Legolas crept through the pine trees as silent as a deer, instead of answering. A hunter's gleam was in his eyes. Fierce. Searching. He studied the ground, placed one boot in front of the other in the snow. He remembered this place. Galadriel showed him in the vision, and that was hazy now. Legolas knew he was close because he remembered this place.

"If this is where your friend is," she broke in again from behind, stomping after him. "Why weren't you thrown down here too?"

"I was." Legolas muttered.

"Are you kidding?" Kristy ran to catch up, slipping on the ice once and pushing her hair back in a hood. It didn't block the blowing snow or the cold. Cloudy sunlight streamed through the splaying leaves and bit her face, making her feel puffy and numb. The air was dipping back and forth, gray to black as the storm moved in.

"You were more than a two hour drive from here!" she insisted, "How did you get all the way down there and half way through Minneapolis?"

"Must you speak constantly?" Legolas snapped irritably.

That Dunedain should be here! Why wasn't he? _It was too cold._ The temperature just kept dropping. He felt it in the air. He felt…he felt snow. Of course it was the snow!

Legolas cursed.

He wouldn't see the place looking at the ground! The storm created a vacuum and blasted the earth, tore it to shreds. He was looking for a crater, but snow would have filled it in by now! Legolas threw his head back and scanned the treetops. Just as he thought, the needles were scorched above him, stripped from the tree trunks. He was right in the middle of it.

They were here.

"Kristy!" he spun around fast. "Help me search, quickly!"

But he didn't have to look. Legolas ran forward and just as he leapt down a shallow rise…Shenzie was there. The dog was licking at something…a face. His fingers shook and Legolas dove to his knees. It was Aragorn, his hair dusty and sparkling with new fallen snow. The silly, worthless animal had found him!

"Finally you've earned your keep, dog." He almost laughed in relief.

Legolas brushed the thin, icy coating from the man and felt for his neck, searching for a pulse. _Nothing._ For an insane instant, Legolas panicked and he thought his friend was dead. The man was stiff and still…so still. But then, fingers numb with fear and cold, Legolas found a steady heartbeat.

He ran over his arms and legs for anything broken. But of course there was not. The Dunedain could crawl through hell and back and still be as well and stubborn as ever. It didn't even surprise Legolas that he'd do something as stupid as this. It could have meant death and decay, or worse! Chasing him through the storms…heading straight-long into the unknown, the abyss.

"Aragorn." He breathed, grasping the man's face in relief. He was unconscious, half sheltered under the eave, but alive and strong. It was good to have such a brave fool as a friend. "Come on."

Legolas almost forgot Kristy as he pulled Aragorn out of the snow and hefted him into his arms. Then, he grunted and staggered back, wide-eyed. _Sweet Eru_ … the man was heavy! Curse this weak human body. Legolas growled.

"Kristine!" he yelled, breaking with the strain of the cold and he shouted huskily, "Where are you? We must get back to the cabin!"

"Uh…Legolas?" came a faint, shaking voice.

Legolas spun around, still managing the weight in his arms. Kristy stood off in the woods, staring at something. All he could see was the shadow of the trees and her back.

"Kristy?" he shouted. " _Kristy!_ "

 _What was the girl doing?_ Sight-seeing?

With a grunt, Legolas gently set the man down and stalked off through the snow. Damn foolish girl. This was no time for dawdling! Aragorn could wake any minute, confused and inflamed with fever. If he was anything like Legolas, his first instinct would be survival. He'd fight to the last. And who would he be fighting?The closest soul in sight, that's who, _and_ his dearest friend. None of that would matter until he realized it.

"What in Manwe's name are you-" and he froze. Legolas almost stumbled in shock at what appeared in the trees. He lost his breath.

 _No…_

"What-what do I do?" Kristy focused on the shining arrow aimed at her throat. The woman holding it could barely manage. She was shaking in the snow, deadly green eyes glazed over.

Sweet Manwe.

Kristy looked at Legolas, trembling, but he was transfixed. He didn't move. She wanted to shout at him to do something, _anything_ to make her put the bow and arrow down…but she didn't. In another motionless instant, the woman's eyes flicking breathlessly to Legolas, her knees buckled and she collapsed.

"Legolas!" Kristy dove to the ground and the arrow sung over her head. She felt the snow hit her face and the feathers of an arrow slap her hair. It sailed past, stinging her cheek.

Legolas didn't even move.

Fuming and gasping in shock, Kristy scrambled over the ground and rolled the woman over. Her body was limp and she knew she was unconscious. _She could have killed me!_ Kristy was screaming in her head over and over, but Legolas didn't even look. _This_ was the guard he told her about? _This_ was who came after him?

"Legolas, she's on fire! We need to get her out of here." Kristy started scraping the snow off the woman's arms anyway. Kristy pushed the hair out of her face and she was feeling for a pulse. The woman, elf…thing, didn't know what she was doing. She didn't mean to threaten her. Kristy told herself the same words and it didn't help any. She was still shaking, and she put her fingers over the woman's mouth, panting. Kris half expected the woman to be dead.

"Sh-she's still breathing, but just barely." Kristy told him with a shooting glance. "I don't think this is frostbite. She's too warm. It's fever or pneumonia, like you. We have to get her out of here!"

Kristy was babbling in the background but Legolas was still rooted to the earth. No _._ How…how could it be? He stared, mouth open in shock.

" _Legolas_." Kristy hissed, spinning around on her heels. "What are you doing?!"

 _Tauriel._ The fiery haired elleth of his childhood, with her shining green eyes and porcelain skin. She was right under his eyes, laid in the snow like a fading angel. He hadn't seen her in…so long. Sixty years, was it? Or fifty?It didn't matter. She was here. She was here right before his eyes and that-that meant she came for him! Even after all that happened…she came for him too. Floods of memories came rushing back into his head, of running green branches in the sunlight, laughing and leaping into sparkling pools. A rush of homesickness swept through him.

And suddenly, Kristy pushed off the ground and grabbed him by the collar. She shook him so hard that his teeth rattled and he snapped out of his dizzy reverie. Kristy was shouting at him.

"Legolas, you idiot!" she let him go. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing." He said quickly, blinking himself out of it. _Focus._ "Nothing. Yes, you're-you're right. We must get them out of here."

"Help me get her up." Kristy pulled the woman out of the snow, slipping in the ice and coughing. And with Legolas heaving her limp body the rest of the way, got her into his arms.

Legolas lost his breath. _She was lighter than he remembered…_ Oh, so tiny. Kristy was strong; she wouldn't drop her. But he didn't give her up. She was even smaller than Kristy. How many times did he let that fool him? She was a fighter; oh how she could fight! And her temper, he remembered it. It was like starlight and fire. She would banter with him, fight with the best of the guard…She always knew what to say. She always knew how to make him feel better. How could the elleth be here, right under his fingers, so close again? After all this time? She -

"- _Legolas_!" Kristy shattered his thoughts one more time. She was fairly screaming at him.

"Yes." Legolas shook his head, letting her into Kristy's arms. _Focus._ "I-I know. We have to go. Hurry!" And he pointed at her fiercely. "If you let go of her even once, Kristine, I- I'll-"

"-Never mind that."

Legolas grimaced and spun around. Kristy wouldn't drop her. If she did he… he didn't want to think about it.

Wind picked up and blew through the pines, buffeting the trees back and forth. The pale glow of sun dropped behind the clouds, leaving him cold and in a daze. They made it to the isolated cabin just as the second wave of storm clouds hit. It was a blizzard of snow and ice.

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 **A/N: Thanks for reading, and reviewing if you have the time. :)) Have a wonderful day.**


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Hello readers! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Fun tidbit… the next morning after Halloween, the local Wal-mart grocery store was playing Christmas music. Guess it's that time of year!

Thank you for your reviews, they mean so much to me Aearvir, Ninde, Guest, Nice guys, shophiescastle, dreamer, Trich, WinnieFawn, REMdream, Andy the willow tree, TreehouseCity, Iduna, SparkyTAS, REMdream, LadyPorpoise, Nice guys, Raider-K, melodicechoes, CalistaLegaci, jshaw0624, Trich, REMdream, Scylla's revenge, Woman of Letters, wickedGreene13, , dreamer, Woman of Letters, Amateur Bacon Cook, WyomingCowboy15, and middleagemanager, thank you.

Ninde: Your review was so simple and so sweet, it made my day. Thank you. x)

Guest: I couldn't reply because obviously, you reviewed as a guest…but I feel for you on Tauriel. I really do. She was so completely unfair to Legolas, his pride, and even his manhood it was saddening. I hope he ships with Kristy, too. We'll just have to watch and see if it works out that way, eh?

Dreamer: I know no Portuguese (…that was Portuguese, right? Lol)…but the phrase was lovely. Thank you. And I love your name, by the way.

. . .

 _You were given life; it is your duty to find something beautiful in it, no matter how small. – Elizabeth Gilbert_

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Monsters in the Night

. . .

"Is she gonna be alright?"

Legolas sat on the edge of a bed, shrouded in lamplight. Kris was in the doorway, fidgeting with the threshold.

"Legolas?" she pressed softer.

Still no answer.

Legolas swathed Tauriel in sheets, red hair spilling over the satin pillows. He was at her bedside, stroking her hand in his. It was so tiny, so white and smooth. He couldn't eat; he couldn't sleep. Aragorn's pulse was steady and his temperature was fine. But Tauriel… _why?_ Why did the flames lap at her skin? Why did she fight the gap between life and death so fiercely?

Kristy carried a small plate of food into the room. A depression in the mattress and a warm smell wafted to his nose…warm meat and vegetable soup. She sat beside.

"Please Legolas," she said softly, "Can you just eat something? You haven't had anything all day and all night. You'll start getting weak, or-or faint, or something."

Legolas barely registered the words. Why try?

All she could do is set the bowl on the nightstand and leave. Hopeless.

The kitchen joined the living room in one open space, inside the cabin. She shuffled over the thick carpet and looked around; it was nice inside. Polished wood cupboards lined the kitchen. All the modern conveniences of the city were here: lights, refrigerator, washing machine… _if_ the power were on.

Kristy collapsed and curled up in the black leather cushions. Flames snapped and burned under the stone mantle, throwing firelight through the room. Two couches formed an L around the fire, one's back to the kitchen tile.

 _Why did this storm have to hit?_

Kristy glared at the windows. Whirling snow wailed and buffeted the little cabin until it creaked and groaned. Black clouds scratched across the sky. At least the doors were unlocked when they arrived, and they'd managed to get the two strangers inside. It was a full day ago.

"Aragorn…" Kristy muttered to herself, looking over with a sigh. What a name. What a man! _Ranger,_ she corrected.

He was still asleep on the sofa, firelight dancing at the shadows on his unshaved face. Snow battered the walls in icy flakes, cold and bitter wind whistling through the pines. She listened to it nonstop, worrying for Legolas and the two strangers. She couldn't sleep either, knowing he was awake and distressed. Legolas just refused to enlighten her as to who the woman was.

It was frustrating, maddening. The man was stubborn, and he'd dragged her all the way up here without a word more than that pathetic explanation in the car!

And suddenly, something happened …a shifting on the couch, a faint groan.

"Aragorn?" Kristy whispered, blinking in surprise. She focused in the dark.

He definitely was moving.

"Aragorn…" Kristy sat up, instantly tense. "Oh really, please, can you not do that right now? Just keep sleeping!"

He wasn't paying attention. _God, what would he do?_ Wake up screaming? Demand answers and try to run?

"Ah…uh, Legolas!" she whipped her head from the lump of blanket to the bedroom down the hall. Legolas was still in there with _Tauriel_. They'd been in there for hours. He refused to leave. "Legolas!" she called louder. "Legolas, something's happening!"

No answer.

"Legolas, get _out_ here!"

"What is it?" he appeared, blonde hair rumpled like he'd been running his hands through it, and he stalked out of the room impatiently. "What in-"

"Aragorn!" Kristy pointed vigorously. He was shifting and a quiet groan broke from the man's lips.

Instantly, Legolas stopped, staring at the rousing man… before rushing over. It was too soon! He didn't know what to do, what to say. Legolas got down on his knees, carefully placing his hands on Aragorn's arms in case he woke up thrashing. He remembered what it was like to wake on fire, shudder with violent chills and have no memory, no recollection of anything…the past, the future!

He didn't want that for his friend.

"Estel…" Legolas whispered, searching his closed eyes. "Estel, can you hear me?"

And slowly, as if in response… Aragorn's eyes flickered open. His pupils widened in the faint light, focused on the blur of pale silver hovering above him.

Legolas didn't move, afraid of frightening him.

"Aragorn?"

And suddenly the man grabbed Legolas by the clothes and yanked him down, pulling himself to his feet in the process. Legolas gasped. Aragorn's eyes flashed steely blue. It was like flames lapped in their depths and Legolas stared straight into them.

"Aragorn! Y-your name is Aragorn." Legolas rattled off, frozen in his grip. Aragorn whipped his gaze over the elf, up and down, wide-eyed. "You were raised by elves and they call you Estel! I am Legolas, your friend. I will not fight you and I will not hurt you. I am your friend, I swear and-"

And suddenly, to his shock, Aragorn's face slowly burst into a joyful grin and he pulled him into a bone-crushing embrace.

"What are you _talking_ about, fool of an elf?" Estel clasped his arms and held onto his shoulders. Legolas blinked, aghast. He forgot: Estel was a hugger. "We've searched everywhere for you. I thought you were lost to me, my friend. I've found you at last!" he laughed.

"Aragorn…you-you remember me?" Legolas gasped.

"Of course I remember you."

Kristy looked between them, confused. She caught a word here and there, but her Sindarin was poor. Aragorn wasn't fighting? _Why?_ And why wasn't he sicker, like Legolas and Tauriel?

Estel stepped back from Legolas, staggering only once, and he looked around. His vision levelled out and he felt blood rush into his legs. He felt different here. Colder. Cloudy sunlight poured through the windows, and snow was coming down in blowing curtains against the glass.

Lorienit wasn't.

"What happened?" he asked quickly, "What place is this?"

"We are in a place called Earth." Legolas explained, still keeping a steadying hand on the man's arm. "Trust me mellon nín," he said carefully, offering support, "it is not a place for the faint of heart. I am glad you are here."

"Earth?" Aragorn squinted. "…In _Arda_? I've never heard of such a place."

Legolas shook his head, laughing wryly. "Indeed you have not. There _is_ no such place in Arda! The portal has taken you to me, but nowhere that we are familiar. I believe it to be a different world entirely, perhaps a different time."

Slowly, Aragorn nodded, as if processing the information gradually. "Time…" he murmured. His steel gray eyes took in everything with a single glance… machines, furniture of leather and black metal, polished wood table that held a ticking device and- …and a woman.

"Who is that?" He muttered, instantly curious.

"Oh! Ah… this is Kristine. She aided me in habilitating myself to this world."

"Is that not a strong word, my friend? Habilitating?"

"Two and a half months seems a long while when you are in a world as strange and terrible as this." he shrugged.

" _Two_ and a half months?" Aragorn stepped back, agape. "You have been here… that long?"

"Did you not know?"

"No!" Estel took an arm and gripped Legolas. "My friend…I am so sorry. But you must understand. It has been barely a fortnight since you left us."

Legolas stiffened. "A fortnight… that is all?" and then, his muscles slowly grew untaught. He considered that revelation. "Well, I am not sure if it's a good or bad thing. I have missed you terribly, mellon nín, but this…this means I have not missed as much as I thought."

"Nay, we still take rest in the woods of Lorien." Aragorn shifted on his feet, keeping himself steady, "We have another fortnight still until we planned to leave."

Legolas nodded. "And of Mithrandir, is he...?"

At the mention of the old wizard's name, Aragorn's face paled. "I fear it is so. He is indeed lost to us."

And then, a quiet throat cleared. It dragged both their minds from the sinking, dark memories and they looked up. Kristy shuffled to peer past Legolas' shoulder, and she kept her hands together, fidgeting anxiously. Aragorn's cool gray eyes met hers and she froze.

"Um, can-can somebody tell me what's going on?" she asked quickly. "And why 'Aragorn' doesn't seem to have any trouble - oh, I don't know - _breathing_?"

Legolas smiled warmly. "Ah, my friend, manners." He said and glanced to Aragorn. "I should warn you, she does know some Sindarin. And her Westron is quite good."

Estel cast his eyes sidelong. "I see." And he switched to fluent Sindarin. "I shall watch what I say then."

"Hi! I'm Kristine." Kris grinned breathlessly. She stuck out a hand as he approached, before Estel reached to take it.

"She doesn't appreciate a kiss there." Legolas interjected.

"Aragorn…son of Arathorn." He introduced himself, deciding to hold her fingers in a firm, gentle grasp instead. There was no point hiding his identity. She obviously knew what it was already. "I thank you for the care of my friend in his time here."

Legolas relayed the message and obviously, the statement surprised her. She blinked, glancing between them. "Oh, it-it was nothing. That's fine."

"She wears strange clothes." Estel stared straight into her eyes and refrained from looking her up and down, not wishing to make her uncomfortable. But he glanced to Legolas. "Does she always…?"

"Always."

"Is her hair always that short?"

"Always."

Legolas looked at Kristy then, Tauriel slipping from his mind, and the sudden nervousness flaring in her eyes made him smile again. He reached up and gently draped an arm across her shoulders. She was staring at Aragorn and not even trying to hide it.

"Don't be nervous." He could barely keep the smile from tugging at his lips.

"I'm not."

Legolas grinned. "I found you brought my blades and bow." he said to Aragorn.

"That was the captain's doing." he glanced around, as if suddenly remembering. "And where is she? …Tauriel?"

Legolas felt the grin fade from his face. Instantly, Kristy stilled against him and she looked up. He masked his face and focused on avoiding her eyes as they flickered over his face.

"Sleeping," he managed to say quietly, dropping his arm from her shoulders, "… in there."

Before either of them quite knew what happened, Estel had warily taken off in that direction and Legolas quickly went after. Kris watched them go, feeling suddenly empty, before frowning and following after. Legolas' entire face had went pale at the mention of her name… It was like he couldn't let the woman out of his sight for more than a minute at a time. _What'd he think was going to happen?_ She'd pick up and vanish into thin air?

It was ridiculous.

"Wait, please Legolas." Aragorn murmured, reaching the doorway. He touched a hand to his friend's arm. The Dunedain was still unsteady on his feet, but he didn't miss the worrying look Legolas shot.

"Let me see her alone. Worry not. I will do what I can for her."

For an instant, Legolas looked like he was going to say something sharp. Kris waited for something to happen. She could almost see the alarm flaring in his eyes; she knew that look. Legolas didn't want to leave her.

But Estel was a healer. Kristy remembered that much. Maybe he could help.

"Come on, Legs." She brushed his hand with the back of her fingers, a tentative touch. "You should eat something. Let her be."

"But-"

"I will tell you the moment her condition changes." He said quickly. "…if it be."

"I-" Legolas looked from the shadowed bed and Aragorn's tired, wary eyes. He couldn't think of a reason to protest. Estel was a healer; he was not. "Very well." He muttered reluctantly, before shifting back, letting Aragorn in.

Before Legolas could even sit down, Kristy was beside him on the couch. She thrust a warm bowl of steaming soup close to his lap, and Legolas just groaned. "Not now."

"Please?"

He ignored her, staring at the closed door where she lay behind. _He couldn't see her._ He couldn't feel her _feä_. How did he know if she was alright? It was a small relief out here, true, in the clear air, without seeing her sweating, panting body helpless under the sheets… It hurt him to see it.

"Legolas?"

Finally, his platinum blue eyes sank over to hers. Kristy reached up and was gently rubbing his shoulder. "I am fine." He said quietly.

And then, the woman's voice came a little stronger. Interesting. She was frustrated. Legolas glanced up.

"Oh sure, if 'fine' entails sitting up all night _worrying_ over that bed and refusing to sleep. Then you're fantastic."

Legolas was about to counter that with a fast retort, something quick and meaningful: such as mentioning that he was doing more to help than she was. But then, he sighed and decided against it.

His eyes caught her hands. Kristy had food, warm food. Hm. _Where did she get that?_ They brought hardly any food with them.

"What is that?"

"This?" She glanced down and up, following his eyes. "The people who lived here were really well stocked." She explained. "The power's out, you know. But the gas is still on. I warmed it up with the stove." Kristy shuffled closer, wedging the plate of food into Legolas' lap. The tenseness faded a little and she was sitting close to him again. "And the freezer power is out." She explained breathily, quietly. "…the food would spoil. I've got it outside under the snow to keep it frozen. So that's not stealing, right?"

Legolas almost smiled a little, but not quite. "You certainly are a resourceful one, Kristy."

There was light in her eyes...hope, curiosity maybe, or possibly shyness. But the words were barely out of his mouth, glancing over her upturned face, eyes faint green in the firelight, before she dropped her head.

"Thanks."

 _Strange._ He secretly mused. Her hair fell down around her face and hid her from him. It was an odd thing for her to do.

It seemed forever that Aragorn was in there with her. And when he finally emerged…he couldn't tell Legolas anything he didn't already know. It shocked him that the two were now much more human than they used to be, disturbed him into silence for the rest of the night.

. . .

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

 _Whispers in the dark_ …

Kristy didn't move, snuggled tight in a blanket with her eyes shut tight. She was curled up in a lazy boy. Aragorn finally convinced Legolas he needed to rest…but only if Kristy stayed in the same room with her. He was asleep in the den, Aragorn on the couch in the living room.

…And suddenly, she blinked, opening her eyes a little.

The windows were dark and so was everything else. Wind didn't blast the walls; the snow had finally stopped. In fact… everything had stopped. Kristy blinked. Eerily so. Waving limbs crawled through the window panes. _What woke her up?_

Tauriel was in the bed nearby, but it couldn't be her.

And then… a long, gentle _scrape_ sound made her heart flip. Her fingers clenched. Kristy's throat tightened. She felt every single nerve flare to life and she shrunk down in the blanket, peering out. _It was so dark in here._ But the moon shone bright outside. So bright the snow was alive and glowing silver.

 _Scratch…_

She jumped. A flash of shadow leapt past the window and disappeared. Her heart slammed in her ribs, beating thunderously. _What in the..._

Another whisper, like prying fingers dug quietly under the windowpane. She couldn't see. It was too dark. Kristy sat up, pupils dilating in the shadows as she peered closer.

 _I'm overreacting._ It's just a branch tapping the window. 

But the panicking, fearful side that was much too frightened of small, scuttling sounds in the dark for _far_ too many years was coming to life. The reasonable, adult side was screaming for nothing. Episodes of horror movies, the X-Files, and every frightening thing she'd ever seen flashed through her mind and she clamped a hand on her heartbeat.

 _It's nothing._ It's gotta be nothing.

Kristy reached for her coat on the floor, eyes glued to the window and she slipped it on over her razorback. The blanket fell away and she inched closer, tentatively. _There were animals in these woods._ It was a deer, or a raccoon, or-or…

The garage came into view and another hunched shadow leapt over the forest floor. It disappeared, and there were only trees.

 _Just a deer._ Kristy crept to the window, pressing a hand to the cold, clear glass and her breath fogged the window. _Just a deer._ She looked from one shadow to the next. A draft came from the window and made her shiver. She scanned the treetops, heartbeat beginning to settle in relief as not even a whisper of sound or movement broke the quiet. She sighed, dropping her palm from the glass, about to turn away before…

A grasping hand slammed into the glass.

Kristy leapt back with a scream. The thing was grasping and pulling on the locked window with a strangled cry, face smashed in the window and clawing desperately to get inside.

"Ah!"

Kristy spun around and hit the bedpost, scrambling blind for the door before, with a gasp and a suffocated cry, it flew open and she dashed into faint light. She could still hear the clawing nails in her head and she slipped on the carpet, before slamming into the floor and dashing into the den.

Warm firelight flickered through the room. She just caught a glimpse of him sprawled on the couch, sleeping peacefully… In a spasm of terror, she didn't hesitate, running full speed and slamming into his chest, landing on the couch and shaking him awake. Legolas let out a yelp, scrambling back and grabbing the couch as she clambered over him.

"Legolas! Legolas, th-there's a…" she gasped, spluttering for words. "There's a _monster_ outside! It's outside the window!"

"What?" He grimaced, glancing down and struggling in vain to pull her fingers out of his shirt, before looking up and gasping. "What are you _talking_ about?"

"There's a monster!" she tried to shout, but it came out a whisper. She pointed madly. "It's outside my _window_!"

At that moment, Aragorn appeared in the doorway, dark hair disheveled. He had a knife and a sword in his grip. "What is it? What happened, Legolas?"

"I do not know." Legolas pried her off and extricated himself from the blanket, before grimacing and stumbling from the couch. He answered in English and spat the words out again in Sindarin. "She says there is a 'monster' outside the cabin _._ "

"It's there. I saw it." Kristy insisted, still shaking. She pointed wildly. "It had f-flinching yellow eyes and lots of fingers. It's trying to get inside, I tell you!"

Aragorn sighed heavily and Legolas turned, gripping her shoulders, forcing her to look up in the process. Kristy did, feeling the panic reduce to a dull, pounding fear with the look in his eyes. She was still breathing hard though, and Aragorn belted the sword around his waist. She didn't like that face.

He didn't believe her!

"We will go look." Legolas murmured in that infuriatingly calming voice of his. "Calm down. You will hurt something."

Kristy sizzled. "It's _there_ I tell you!" She shook his hands off and pointed wildly, before with a sudden surge of bravery, she gripped her fists and stomped. "And if you don't find it, I-I'm going to go _shoot_ it with the gun I found!"

"You are not going to shoot anything." He hissed.

"It is in all probability a woodland animal." Aragorn broke in, striding across the room, and Legolas retrieved his boots from the corner.

"A deer or possibly a wolf." He agreed, repeating the message.

"Do woodlandanimals claw at the window?" Kristy shot back. " _Bambi_ doesn't have pointy teeth!" she spluttered, forcing the buttons up the side of her coat closed. "I know what a _woodland_ animal looks like."

Legolas sighed. Kristy couldn't help feeling anger as he pulled a suede tunic over his head and grabbed the weapons Aragorn brought. He didn't believe her!

"I will look." He insisted. "All right? Will you trust Estel _and_ I?"

Kristy fumed and glared at the patronizing tone, but Aragorn's voice was quiet, a sturdy stone. It rose up out of the turmoil like a calming sea. He spoke up and suddenly, she felt an embarrassed flush rise in her cheeks. He was so composed! _Why'd she have to lose it?_ Why hadn't she just walked in here, calmly touched Legolas awake, and asked him what he thought it was?

"There are tracks outside the window." Estel said solemnly, lifting his chin. And then Legolas glanced over and said something else in quick Sindarin. Aragorn nodded stiffly.

"What?" Kristy looked between them. "W-what did he just say?"

Legolas' eyes flashed and there was alarm on his face.

Legolas was strapping on his weapons and he didn't answer right away. He just stalked to the window, took one look, and then spun around. He pointed at Kristy with one finger.

"Stay here… Do not come out."

She felt her eyes widen exponentially. But even though she appreciated they were taking her seriously now, a flash of fear coursed through her belly. If it wasn't a wolf and it wasn't Bambi… _What was it?_ She hadn't thought that far yet!

Aragorn strode out of the room and Legolas swept after him, bow in hand and gleaming white blades strapped to his back. He disappeared from sight…and Kristy ran after him.

"Legolas," she grabbed him by the back and held onto his knives. "What do I do? I want to help."

"You may help by remaining here. Stay with Tauriel!"

 _Stay with Tauriel?_ Kristy almost spluttered in protest, but nothing came out. Was that a joke? By the time the angry, fearful splotches left her vision, they were both gone. The door swung shut with a _slam_ and she stood staring.

 _Stay with Tauriel._ Fine. Kristy hurried to the mantle and dug out the pistol she'd found there earlier. She pulled on some low, leather boots and jeans with shaking hands.

"Take the north side." Estel leapt down the porch steps, blade in hand and Legolas nodded.

"Aragorn, wait!" Legolas reached out. "What are they?"

"Orc."

A/N: Thank you for reading! This last week has been absolutely crazy and I haven't had time to write, so sorry for the short chapter. I hope you can expect another update in the next few days though, if all goes as planned! Have a wonderful day, and I hope you enjoyed it. :)


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Early update like I promised! Stayed up all night writing it though, be warned, because I wanted to wait for the polls to come in. :))

. . .

REMdream: I'm glad you wanted Kristy to shoot something, because she gets to! Whether she really wanted to or not though... who knows.

Guest: You don't hate me for the cliffhanger? Good. I honestly didn't plan to. I just couldn't seem to end it anywhere else.

Dreamer: I completely agree about Tauriel on that count, too. She's a Mary Sue in its purest forms, which makes jealous monsters out of the rest of us. Thank you so much for the sweet review. :) And I'm glad Go- ogle is such a handy translator. What you're saying would drive me crazy!

WickedGreene13: Freaking orcs in the woods. Hee hee. Thank you for titling this chapter.

Guest: … 10 hour work-day? Ouch. Glad the update helped, in some small way. :) I know how those days can be.

*Phew* And after this ridiculously long author's note, chapter thirteen.

. . .

 _We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. –Oscar Wilde_

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Orc in the Woods

. . .

Moonlight flashed and stabbed through the pines like daggers. Legolas ran full speed. His feet were as fleet and silent as a wolf. Snow glowed white, hazy and alive. This was where he belonged! Running through the woods, bow in hand, wind in his hair…

Aragorn crunched through the snow, blade shielding his eyes. He heard their foul whisperings spitting in the dark...but he couldn't see. He couldn't make them out! Why was it so dark? The moon shone bright; why were his eyes so dull? Legolas was running a perimeter of the property, trying to get an approximate on their numbers. He couldn't hear the elf… _man's,_ he corrected…footsteps anymore.

Inside the cabin, Kristy fumbled with a box of bullets, loaded the pistol in her shaking hands, and jammed the rest in her pocket. Legolas said to guard Tauriel. That meant fighting whatever was out there. Right?

She didn't bother keeping the safety off. The weight of the gun felt good in her hands. It was familiar. It made her feel powerful. Her trembling fingers stilled and a surge of energy raced through her limbs. She strode to the door, cracked it open, and peered out.

A tiny gas porchlight hung overhead. All was quiet. The clawing woods past the yard threw long, scratching shadows waving slowly over the house. She felt every one, cold on her face as she peered into the barring line of darkness.

And it moved.

Kristy blinked.

Slowly, she latched the door tight and moved out onto the landing, butt of the gun on her shoulder, and she sidestepped her way to the stoop. _What was that?_ Porch rails crept over her legs. She kept her fingers off the trigger, glancing to it constantly to make sure of it.

… And suddenly, just as she jumped off the bottom step and looked around, a hunched figure scrambled around the side of the house and flew through the snow straight toward the driveway. Kristy gasped. White flakes exploded behind desperate scrabbling, kicking legs.

"Legolas!"

A figure, definitely human leapt off the garage roof and crashed into a snowdrift. Kristy spun around. _Aragorn_. He rolled and absorbed the impact, snow flying, before chasing after the monster with a fierce cry. She just stared, wide-eyed. A guttural scream pierced the dark an instant later.

"Aragorn, what the hell _are_ they?" she shouted.

Crashing blades echoed from the woods. Estel yelled something at her, but she didn't understand. It sounded like 'goblet'.

" _Aragorn!_ " she insisted, stamping her boot. "You're fighting those things with a freaking _knife_?"

The only answer was a glimpse of silver bolting from the woods and Legolas ran full speed. A pack of black limbs and teeth were after him, waving beaten blades.

Suddenly, to Kristy's shock, he reached open ground and spun around. His whole body tensed and he threw his legs apart, bracing himself. He was outside the porchlight though and she saw flashing blades, arms flying. He ducked and spun on one leg, driving his knife through a black knee, before spinning around and crossing blades through a throat. Steel flashed and throaty cries stained the white snow red. It made her feel sick. Ice and a fist landed the last in a snow bank and Legolas jumped up again, spluttering.

"Legolas!" she exclaimed, staring at his silhouette in a new perspective… respect, she thought, or fear. She wasn't sure. But he was already up and running again. "What are they? Why are they here?"

He sidestepped and redirected his run toward the woman. As he skidded into the porchlight though, she saw the knives. His knuckles were bruised; he was panting hard. And the blades gleamed blood red.

"Goblins." He spat. Aragorn shouted something at him, and he spun around, scanning the trees. "Twenty! I -" and then he shook his head, repeating it in Westron.

"Goblins?" she interrupted, unconsciously grabbing the gun in her hands tighter. "Like _real,_ real goblins? Real goblins?"

Legolas flashed sharp blue eyes over his shoulder and they pierced like arrows. " _Why_ are you out here? I told you to stay inside and protect Tauriel!"

"She's plenty safe in there." She shot back. "Quit thinking about _her_ all the time and worry about yourself for once! What's happening here? Don't you see? What are they attacking _us_ for?"

"I see perfectly, Kristine." He hissed, before striding forward through the snow. Kristy scrambled back a step, suddenly terrified of the fierce, killer look in his eyes. That wasn't Legolas. Or maybe it was…? Maybe this was just a side of him that she'd never seen before. The side that beat up four men in an alley with his bare hands.

"They are attacking because they seek to exterminate anyone different than themselves."

"But it doesn't make sense! They're dying and they're not running." She insisted. Aragorn was taking on three more in her peripheral vision. He was winning, too.

"Get inside, Kristy." he said. She was right, but it didn't matter. "I have no time for this."

The woman gasped, fuming, but she refused to move. Legolas was already turning away. He wasn't listening. _Again._ Well she sure as hell wasn't going to go hide under the bed! She was-she was going to-

Oh, damn that elf.

Legolas heard the sound a moment before he saw it. He was looking back, about to order her inside again. But he didn't make it. His eyes went wide. _Run._ Why didn't she run? Didn't she see it?

And suddenly, Legolas was throwing a blade over his head, blocking off an attack. He was boxed in; he couldn't move.

"Kristy!" he barked, hoarse.

Kris looked up at the sound. The first thing she saw was a surge of fear in his wide blue eyes. She saw it in the dark and it stunned her. That look was grossly out of place on Legolas' face.

"Get down!" he shouted desperately. His body moved in a writhing dance to twist in and under the beaten, battered blades coming down.

And suddenly, she spun around. _Goblin._ Kris threw her hands up instinctively and a black, scrambling shape careened down the roof head-first. It was coming so fast! It scrambled down the roof straight for her, blinking furiously and spilling drool.

A thousand memories flashed through her head. She remembered a mask, a smudged stocking-face, dark and a gunshot. She remembered that feeling of frozen terror, unable to move. Knowing you have to move and you just can't…

But that's not what happened this time.

Kristy tripped and slammed on her back in the snow. She could see the gleaming yellow eyes and black nails clambering over the shingles. It was jumping! And suddenly, a sharp gunshot kicked her back a step. She almost fell, but not quite. She braced herself and a guttural scream pierced the air. The goblin tumbled head-over-heels and landed with a _crunch_ in the snow.

In the same moment, Legolas yanked his blade out of the last of the orcpack. Aragorn looked up at the explosion. Blood slicked his blade red.

With a gasp, Kristy stumbled to her feet, staring at the thing sprawled in the trampled snow. _A goblin._ What else could you call that thing? The sinewy arms spread out in the snow, bald gray body in the porchlight. A long blade was limp in dark flat fingers.

Legolas and Aragorn stared at the woman and the barrel in her hands. It was still steaming in the cold…

"Th-that's a _goblin._ " Kristy said stupidly, eyes wide.

"Yes."

"Hah!" she looked up, a numb shock slowly rising up in her chest. She grinned. "And it's _dead_."

"Yes." Legolas muttered reluctantly, before sharing a look with Estel. "I told you."

"…a different place." Aragorn agreed.

"Come on! They are still coming in from the east." He and Estel took off into the woods. He refused to see if Kristy followed after. If she had that…weapon with her, it was her business if she wanted to be a fool.

They ran into another pack just further in the woods. Kristy chased after them as fast as possible in the trampled snow. Black shapes were leaping through the trees. She threw her head up and saw them jump from limb to limb, slipping and scrambling in the upper branches. They were retreating!

Or so she thought.

They broke into a glade where the trees were sparser, not far from the cabin. Legolas instantly skidded to a halt and Kristy almost slammed into him. Aragorn ran to a stop ahead, and she stumbled, whipping her head around.

"W-what's the matter?"

Legolas back-stepped, staring wide-eyed into darkness. " _That_ is the matter." He said breathlessly, and then Kristy looked around him, just enough to see. A black roar shook the air and she staggered back.

 _Bam._

The crash of a club on tree trunk smashed through the woods and an explosion burst from the earth in snowy white droplets.

"W-what's _that_?" She pointed in disbelief.

"A troll." Legolas growled in answer, before pushing her back. "Stay behind me!"

Kristy didn't even protest. What the hell? It was _huge_! And it was stomping straight towards the cabin.

With a fierce battle cry, Aragorn ran forward and blocked a blow from the massive club. It sent him flying backward, but he absorbed the hit and rolled. Legolas was right after him, pulling the bow from his back. Kristy couldn't even see the arrows he let go until they were flashing and spinning through the night. Legolas was all grace and fury. If she wasn't so fixed on running full-tilt out of the troll's way, she could have just watched him.

"Get back to the house!"

"I will not." She shot back.

Legolas didn't have time to fight over it. "Then make that weapon of yours useful!"

The first time Kristy shot the pistil, the goblins froze where they clung to the branches. She spun around behind a broken stump, hiding from the beast. Over the cries of the troll, she could hear their wild, frenzied snorts and whisperings.

She threw both fists into the air and aimed. Another gunshot brought down a screaming orc until it landed flailing in the snow. She was so intent, heart pounding in her ears, swiveling back and forth and shooting down bodies from the dark branches, she didn't even notice the flinching black eyes as they turned. The troll snuffled the frigid air, searching blind for the gunshots.

"Kristy!"

No answer. Just another goblin falling from the trees and Legolas pulled his arrow from the bloody ribcage in the dirt. He was nearly out, and he was cut off from her. He couldn't move.

"Damnit, Kristy! _Answer_ me."

Aragorn slammed into a trunk and the troll's back was between him and the girl. A goblin dropped from the trees and Legolas –between dodging knives and flying entrails- saw it knock the gun out of her hands.

"Kristy!" he shouted hoarsely.

Just as it happened, the troll reached out a massive hand and grabbed her ankle. She landed with a yelp. Aragorn's blade slashed through the fleshy tendon in its heel, spraying blood, but not deep enough.

Legolas spun around. He heard her scream and she was upside down. The cry stabbed him like a blade; he couldn't move. _She was going to die._ Why didn't she listen? _Why_ didn't she stay inside? His blue eyes flew up in alarm.

But the troll didn't crush her, it didn't throw or shake her…it just stared, grabbing at her as if to find the weapon she had. Legolas saw it in the snow. He was too far away to get it. His quiver was out of arrows.

"I will get it!" Aragorn shouted. "Catch her!"

Estel fought his way through the snow and squealing goblins. They were screaming in a frenzy and cheering the troll on. But Aragorn didn't have time to figure out how the metal thing worked. He looked up and shouted. "Kristine!"

She was still writhing in the troll's fingers, shouting curses that would make a dwarf blush. The monster stumbled through the woods, batting away trees and _yrch_ in the way with a massive, scarred arm. Aragorn threw the gun at her and Legolas almost thought she wouldn't catch it. She wouldn't catch it...

She wouldn't fascinate the monster long enough! It would kill her. She'd die and it would be his fault!

But her fumbling fingers grabbed onto the barrel, still fighting upside down. Just as Legolas looked up, she forced her arm up and fired blind. More screams.

"Catch her!"

Legolas jammed his knife in the sheathe on his back and dove into a run. The troll threw her. Its head was partially blown away and Kristy was plummeting. He'd catch her. He wouldn't let her snap and break, smash into the ice.

And suddenly he felt impact.

Kristy's face slammed into his chest. Legolas was thrown to the ground and he landed in the snow, grunting in pain and surprise.

The next thing he knew, he was staring straight up at the sky, gasping. Kristy was crumpled face down on his chest…and the moment Legolas realized it, he also realized she was shaking.

"Kristy…" he forced out, making his lungs work. In, out. Up… down. He was soaking wet and freezing cold, buried in snow. The goblins saw the troll crashing to the forest floor and they were retreating, hooting and screaming. Aragorn didn't bother chasing after them.

His ears rang and the world was quiet.

Panting, Legolas' fingers touched her hair, spreading his hands around her ribs. She was shaking so hard and her heart pounded so furiously, he felt it through the heat of her clothes. Her coat was gone. Kristy was trying to breathe and couldn't; she coughed violently.

"Kristy, talk to me." He insisted, lifting up his head.

She gulped and swallowed once more, before dragging her head up, bracing her arms on his chest. "… I-I-I'm okay. I'm fine." Kris coughed deep down in her chest, before shakily peering up at him. Legolas winced. Her face was scraped and bleeding. She looked terrified and brave…and soaking wet. Legolas almost smiled. "Thanks f-for not letting me crash." She managed.

"Anytime." He said, lifting his knees so he felt her settle between them. Gods, she felt good here. And she was so cold. He could feel her body crushing him and warming him at the same time. Kristy looked over his wet face, his heartbeat fluttering fast under her hand.

 _Why did she not get off him?_ Why didn't he make her? He just looked.

"I-is it dead?" she whispered a long second later, as if in a daze.

And suddenly, the trance was broken.

"Yes. Come on." Legolas forced himself to focus. They weren't sitting out in the snow all night with those monsters in the wood!

Aragorn staggered sideways and strode over, before dragging his fallen sword out of the snow. "The goblins will not stay frightened long." he warned, breathing fast.

Kristy let Legolas up out of the drift and he shook himself off. Blood rushed from her head instantly and she staggered back, dizzy. Kris wasn't going to make the damn elf catch her again, though. She forced herself to stay upright. Legolas was hitting the snow off himself and batting it from her shoulders.

"Come!" Aragorn grabbed the woman's arm and Kris stumbled. He looked around, scanning the moonlit trees, before dragging her back down the sharp wooded slope after him, with Legolas a step behind. "No time now! This place will be flooded with _yrch_ before the moon wanes."

"We cannot leave!" Legolas protested. "What of Tauriel?"

"We take her with us."

And so it was just a half-mile before they skipped up a rise and the cabin appeared, nestled between hilly pines. Estel slowed his furious pace, clamping his unshaved jaw in a determined line. Legolas had a bow on his back again. The three were just above the homestead and Kristy twisted around as she ran, staring at him.

Legolas' eyes were ice blue. She didn't know what it was. _Was he afraid?_ He was staring at the cabin like a cat after an angry mouse. Kris realized it was just a split instant that he stood poised, coiled like a spring.

"Legolas…what is it?" she panted.

He didn't move. His fingers turned cold. _Tauriel._ "… Did you leave the door open?" he asked quietly.

Nothing happened. And then her heart dropped into her stomach. "No."

"Legolas!"

The elf bolted down the slope, exploding snow behind him. Estel curled his fingers into fists, before taking off after him. Kristy almost cried, but nothing came out. _She didn't forget it open._

Tauriel's window…there was movement. Legolas ran full-speed; he didn't even hesitate. Pulling the blade off his back, he shielded his face and leapt through the glass. It was already cracked from the earthquakes and it shattered on impact. Legolas' boots hit the floor and a shocked hiss came from the corner.

"Get away from her!" He spat viciously.

The goblin looked up with fierce yellow eyes in the dark.

Legolas didn't wait. He jumped on the bed where Tauriel was stirring awake, vaulted over it, and thrust his knife through the goblin's throat. Black blood choked and spilled from pointed teeth, slowly, and then the putrid eyes rolled back in his head and it collapsed.

"Tauriel…" he whispered, dropping the blade. His fists were stained with gore, cold and bloody, but he caught her face in his hands. She wasn't hurt; she was just jarred awake. "Can you hear me?"

"W-where is this?" she hissed, blinking furiously. Sweat still clung to her face, fever and fear. But she was awake. "What happened?"

"Your name is Tauriel." he panted, collapsing down beside her. He stroked her face gently, felt her shaking in his arms and her fiery, rumpled hair in his fingers, "…my dear Tauriel. You are safe; do not fear. I know you don't understand yet, but do not fear and do _not_ fight."

She shook her head, looking around the darkness wildly. Tauriel's mouth clamped tight and her eyes flashed like hot green fire. She was afraid.

"Your memory will return, I swear it. It is just…too much, too much for you to take. Not now, right away. You- " and then he cut off, catching his breath, searching her face. She was unconscious again. Her eyes slit closed and she went limp in his arms.

 _Tauriel,_ sweet Tauriel, nearly killed because - because -

"… Legolas?" came a shrinking voice.

"You fool." He growled.

Aragorn stepped slowly into the room behind Kristy. The ranger kept back, noting the way Legolas' fingers covetously roamed the fiery locks of the captain's hair. He saw the raw, fiery terror in his eyes as he stared at Kristy, like a cornered animal. Time was short, but Estel didn't move.

"You nearly killed her!" he hissed venomously. "You said she was _safe._ "

"I…I shut the door. I knowI did." Kris whispered.

"Goblins can open doors, fool of a woman!" he shot back savagely. The fury in his voice shocked him. Legolas didn't mean to put it there. But it was there and he couldn't take it back.

Kristy back stepped, panting in sweat, tears. And fear. "I didn't know."

"You should have!" Legolas spat. "You should have obeyed me. You never listen. _Never._ "

"I- "

Legolas cut her off. "The next time put your _own_ life at risk, not hers!"

"Legolas," Aragorn snapped. "Calm yourself. There is no time for this."

The elf whipped his eyes to Estel, remnants of panic and fury in that look. There _wasn't_ time. Legolas knew that. And he didn't argue. He forced his head down, still holding Tauriel, breathing fast.

"Hurry." Aragorn looked between them. Kristy stared at him, panting. The static in the air eased a little. "Tell Kristy to pack her things." He told Legolas. "We are leaving."

. . .

 _Snap, whir… snap, whir…_ Aragorn stared through the windshield wipers as snow melted on the glass.

"Do you know the way?"

Kris held onto the steering wheel in the dark; Aragorn was in the passenger seat. An unconscious Tauriel was bundled in a warm, thick blanket, wrapped in Legolas' arms. She saw them in the rear mirror, the ice blue of Legolas' eyes. They stared out the dark window. They were like wet, bitter pools of midnight water …empty.

Nothing.

The elf refused to interpret for him, so Aragorn let it go.

"Where are you going?" he asked quietly.

Kristy didn't answer… but Estel had the sneaking suspicion she understood him and was simply too upset to answer. Another wave of orcs came down from the woods just as they were loading into the car. They barely managed to escape unscathed. Legolas already had his arm slammed in the door to crunch a goblin. It tried getting inside with them.

"Talk to her, Legolas." Aragorn muttered from the front seat. He stared at the road ahead, but he felt the elf's eyes turn harder.

Legolas wouldn't answer.

"At least tell her to stop this 'car' when she can." Estel said. "She is bleeding."

Still no answer.

" _I_ am as well, Legolas, and so are you. Tell her…please. Talk to her."

The cold blue eyes shot a look at him, knowing exactly what the Dunedain was doing, before Legolas said flatly. "Stop the car when you find a place to acquire _supplies,_ Kristine."

"Don't tell me what to do, highness." She growled.

 _Highness?_ "Do not speak to me like that, woman."

"Or what? What are you going to do about it?"

"I'll-"

"Legolas!" Aragorn hissed. "You are not a child."

A tense minute passed, Legolas fuming and holding Tauriel tighter against his chest. He was cold and damp, arms buried in the warm blanket.

"I'm getting out of these woods." She mumbled, mostly in Westron.

Ah…so she did understand. Aragorn thought as much.

They pulled into a grocery store an hour's drive south. Aragorn was nervous inside the car, but Legolas told him about it and he focused on bigger problems. The parking lot of the gas station was well lit.

Kristy got out, cast one look at the back of Legolas' head pressed against the window…and slammed the door shut.

"Legolas." Aragorn said. "Come with us."

Legolas' boots were propped on the seat on either side of Tauriel's, her head on his chest in the dark.

"You are brooding."

"I am not."

"Leave the captain here." Estel urged. "She will be fine. Come inside and get what you need."

"By asking Kristy?" Legolas snapped in a hoarse whisper. The woman was waiting on the curb with a hard, burned expression, arms folded. His words played over and over in her head…that fierce, burning anger. It was like he hated her and she couldn't forget it. Filthy damn elf, he had no right!

Aragorn didn't answer. But his gray eyes darkened. He stared at his friend and the woman clutched in his arms, how Legolas stared at the floor, before sighing and walking away. He left the door open.

The lights were bright inside the grocery store. Kristy followed Estel through and as they moved down the aisles, she walked so close, her hand brushed his with every step. Her fingers were shaking and no matter how hard she kept her mouth shut tight, it shook. She hit her face with dusty hands to keep tears from falling.

"W-we need food and some first-aid stuff." Kris mumbled.

"Legolas is thirsty." Aragorn added.

Nothing.

"Kristine?"

The woman wordlessly snatched a water bottle from the shelf.

Aragorn rubbed his unshaved face. This wasn't going to be easy. Maybe they'd simply have to sort it out themselves.

Outside, Legolas watched Estel come out with Kristy, from inside the car. He sat her on the curb. She was bleeding and Aragorn took care of it. Legolas rubbed strands of copper hair in his fingers, staring through the glass.

"I don't need bandage or anything, really." Kristy muttered. "I'm fine."

Estel ignored her, examining a jagged slash running up the inside of her arm. She winced as he cleaned it. He used a swab of alcohol and cotton.

"What about highness?" she muttered. "His arm was bleeding pretty bad, wasn't it?"

Aragorn glanced up. It was strange, the way she pieced bits of Westron into what she wanted. "Legolas' injuries are not serious."

"Yeah… I'll bet."

Kristy dipped her head to peer sidelong at him through a shroud of hair. He was still in the car, holding Tauriel, watching them. Watching. _Why didn't he look away?_ Or come out here, snap, say something angry so she could fight back? Sitting in silence was killing her.

"He doesn't understand." Kristy said finally. She didn't know why she couldn't keep it down. It just spilled out. "I try to talk to him sometimes and it's like he doesn't _hear_ me. His mind is somewhere else! He wasn't always like that… And he's constantlyworried over _Tauriel_ these past days _._ It's like she's so tiny and _fabulously_ beautiful, she needs him there looking at her every single instant."

"Do not be so hard on him, Kristine."

"Hard on him? He's the one that-that-" She spluttered and broke off. "Whatever. You saw."

"Yes." A few minutes passed in silence. And Aragorn chose to speak again. "He is not himself. My friend is changed some since last I saw him."

"Changed?" she repeated in Westron. Is that the word he said? It was hard to know sometimes. "Changed how?"

Aragorn just sighed. "He has lost much. You should know he meant nothing of what he said, in the woods." Then the man looked over to the car where he saw a glimpse of Legolas' stormy eyes, and he said more to himself than her. "It seems he has difficulty maintaining perspective... As if perhaps he cannot keep up with himself."

Kristy stared at him. A long minute passed. She couldn't be sure if she understood or not. But instead of pushing it, she dropped her eyes. "How come she's so sick?" she muttered, fidgeting with her fingers. A cold night wind shivered through her thin coat, but she ignored it. She didn't want to go back to that car…with him.

"I-it's like she's in shock, or something, like him. You didn't, and you remember everything. What happened?"

Almost instantly, Estel's eyes sharpened again and he snapped his chin up. "I…" he took a deep breath. "I am unsure. Perhaps because elves are immortal creatures, of magic and light." He glanced around. "I'm afraid there is little magic in this place. It is as if it's been…taken from them. I am mortal, you see, Kristine. I am of the Dunedain, not elves. I have only one lifetime to live, and one life to remember."

She nodded slowly. "I hope you do, anyway. If my government finds you, I don't think you'll have that either." Kristy cast one more look at the shadow of Legolas, letting fear, anger and a miserable tinge of remorse flood through her feelings, before dropping her eyes.

"I don't know how we're going to get back to the city. I don't know how you're going to get back, or fix this or… or anything. I'm sorry, Estel. I'm so sorry."

Aragorn lifted a worn, tired hand and touched her arm. "We will find a way…if there be one."

Kristy nodded slightly, staring at her hands, before whispering. "Sure."

. . .

 **A/N: Thank you for reading. Also! Apologies for spelling 'orc' as 'orch' the last chapter. I'll fix that. It looked right and I forgot to check with the book. :))**


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Hello again. I hope you like this chapter, because I had an absolutely wonderful time writing it. I'm not sure why, but I did. This chapter is for those poor people in New Zealand though, who suffered such violent earthquakes last night.

Dreamer: Oh, poor broken heart! Maybe this will help. :))

: Ah, thank you for that typo mistake! That's what you get for writing at midnight, I guess. My grammar/spell check seems to be malfunctioning too, so this is un-checked *gasps* Please let me know if you catch anything else!

REMdream: Well, they may not 'kiss' and make up. But something's bound to happen one way or another, fighting like this.

. . .

 _Don't cry because it's over! Smile because it happened. –Dr. Seuss :)_

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

With Friends Like These

. . .

Aragorn gestured to the open car door. "Legolas… please, this is taking too long."

Tauriel was asleep in the back seat, Kristy waiting impatiently in the driver's. The captain fluttered between consciousness and a dim, foggy world of healing. Her breathing had steadied out though and Estel said he wanted to monitor her for awhile.

Aragorn was after all, a healer.

"I simply feel that she is better with me." Legolas reasoned. "She senses my presence and it soothes her."

Kristy tried not to roll her eyes.

"Well, it is true!" he insisted. "She knows when I'm near."

"Trust me or not, friend, Tauriel has become dear to me as well." Aragorn said in Sindarin, ignoring her barely suffocated gag. He didn't need Kristy laughing at the disgruntled elf. "I hardly believe she will throw a fit if I take a turn with her."

Legolas was about to say something back, a protest, anything. But he glanced at the front seat. Kristy was staring at him, arms folded over her chest. She was just waiting for him to say it. Probably so she could laugh - he thought bitterly - or ridicule him. Legolas was fast realizing Kristy did not like Tauriel.

"Oh… very well." he muttered. Legolas dropped gracelessly into the front seat and slammed the door shut.

" _Thank_ you, Mr. Decisive."

"I want to hear nothing from you about it!" he snapped.

"I-"

"-You may have her the _moment_ I am satisfied she is healthy." Estel broke in again, throwing a warning look.

"Good."

With that, Kristy glanced over and Legolas scowled. He wanted to lean away, but he couldn't. That… woman was too close to him, in the small confines of the car. It made him want to shove her away a little, just to get a rise out of her.

They pulled off the shoulder of the freeway, traffic whizzing past in a steady blur, and picked up speed again. They moved out into the fast lane. "So… any thoughts on how to get through the road blocks?" Kris spoke up after a minute.

"How did you get through the first time?" Aragorn was in the back. He examined Tauriel's pulse with a quiet, steady hand and his eyes were distracted. Her clumsy Westron was good enough to understand in a pinch, though. And Legolas wasn't willing to translate.

"We busted through last time: 'genius' here's idea. That's not going to work though." Kris said. "They're on the watch. They'll probably be extra suspicious of this car, too: a silver Grand Prix? No, never."

"Are there any routes unguarded?" he pressed.

Kristy shook her head. "All the streets are closed."

"Then _what_ do you suggest?" Legolas snapped finally, looking over. "Proceed as we go and hope all goes well? Trust in the innate goodness of your people's police?"

"Of course not."

"Then what? How do we get through, Kristine?"

Kris narrowed her eyes, suddenly holding the steering wheel in a death grip. She felt his cerulean blue eyes burning into her, fierce and impatient. It made her want to snap back at him, saying something stupid and smart that wouldn't help.

But she didn't.

"Well you and Aragorn could get through on foot. There are drainage tunnels everywhere, and they can't possibly have all those miles blocked, not now after these storms are spreading. They wouldn't have the manpower."

"And what of Tauriel?" Legolas said fiercer than he had to. It was maddening. Every time she spoke, it was like she forgot about her entirely! Didn't she care?

"What about her? Just stay off the streets; you've gotta be used to rougher than that. Let her tough it."

"Tauriel is not well." He grit his teeth. "I will _not_ have her be dragged through _drainage_ ditches."

"Fine. Don't then. I don't care."

"And what then, oh master of plans? Where do we take her?"

Kris shot a furious look. "Oh, leave her anywhere!" she snapped. "I don't care. Maybe a Red Cross truck will pick her up."

"A...a what?" He burst in disbelief. How could she be so cruel? "Over my dead body!"

Kristy huffed, muttering a curse. "What dead-beat TV show did you pick that up from?"

"Your favorite." Legolas shot back.

"You-" Kristy shook her head, growling, before forcing out. "Do what you want with her. It doesn't matter to me."

 _Doesn't matter?_ Legolas snapped his head straight forward and inwardly fumed.

Tauriel was precious and deathly helpless. She needed him like he needed her all those years ago. And it _didn't matter_? The stubborn woman refused to understand. He had to change things! There was no damnable dwarf in the way, this time. He wouldn't abandon her again.

"It does matter."

"Get over it, Legolas! I was just kidding."

And that did it.

"Then spare me your perverse sense of humor, Kristine!" The Sindar told him not to, but the Sylvan in him was screaming at him. Say it _._ _Say it._ So he did…quietly, in very careful English.

"And your childish, pathetic anger is an unbecoming, twisted form of _jealousy_ that disgusts me."

Kristy almost stomped on the breaks. "Je- _jealousy_?" she gasped in shock. The car jolted as she let off the gas. "You think I'm jealous of that-that _red_ headed little elf?" she swore violently. "Who do you think you are?"

"Yes." He hissed. "You are. It colors your every look toward her an ugly green. Don't deny it."

Kristy couldn't believe it. Not only that he talked like that…but he actually-he actually thought it! Legolas said the bitter truth when he was so furiously upset. He didn't lie like that.

And suddenly, Aragorn snapped at him, harsh and quiet in Sindarin. Legolas clamped his mouth shut angrily and sat back in his seat. But he didn't answer.

"You are delusional, you stupid elf princeling." Kristy panted. She struggled to speed up with traffic, ignoring the honks of protest as she swerving around patches of ice. "And you can take your high-and-mighty rhetoric off into that _sulking_ corner of yours." She growled. "We don't need it."

He whipped his head up, eyes flashing.

"Legolas!" Aragorn bit.

He tried to shove off his friend's warning, ignore it. But he couldn't. A place deep down knew he was being childish. This wasn't the time to be fighting with Kristy. It was stupid and juvenile.

Legolas settled down, disgruntled. But he wasn't wrong. The woman _was_ jealous. And she _was_ resentful.

"I simply was going to say, Estel…" he said much more calmly, forcing his breathing to slow. "-that I have no time to argue. After all, we _do_ have a problem to solve."

Aragorn nodded slowly. To Legolas' relief, he didn't press it.

"I believe Kristy's idea is not without merit." Estel said, letting Tauriel lean back in his arm and securing the seat belt around her more firmly. "She will pass through the road block alone, while we take another route. Turn away the eye of the enemy, while we pass unnoticed."

Kris threw a smug look in Legolas' direction. She loved it when she was right.

"But how wide do you believe their watch to spread?" Estel asked quicker, throwing another warning glance. Legolas looked like he could escalate that single look, if given a chance. And Aragorn didn't care to risk it. "We will pass into the city on foot, taking Tauriel with us."

She nodded slightly. "Alright. I can give you my phone too, so we're sure to meet up again."

"Fone?" Estel repeated, confused.

"In this case," Legolas explained coolly, keeping his eyes straight ahead. "It will be as a moving, living map so we will not misplace ourselves."

"I…see."

Judging by his voice, he didn't.

"And just make sure you don't lose it, huh?" Kris asked, aiming it at Legolas. "I can't afford another, especially after you lost the last one."

Legolas smiled sweetly. "And miss the chance to reunite myself with yourcharming self? I wouldn't think of it. Besides, that GPS is your livelihood. You couldn't find your way out of an open elevator."

. . .

So it was half an hour later. Traffic was backed up so thick, it could barely move. They crawled forward inch by inch, waiting for the soldiers to pass every single vehicle. Legolas sat stiffly in the front seat until the station gradually came into view. Kris had come in on the west side though, instead of the same roadblock they demolished.

"Where will we meet, exactly?" Legolas said finally, breaking the quiet. His voice was subdued.

White light streamed through the windshield. Kris didn't answer a moment, staring straight ahead, before taking her phone from the console. She was quiet. "How about the corner of Madison and 3rd? Busy enough to get lost in a crowd, if you have to."

He nodded in agreement. "Very well."

An awkward moment passed. Estel chose not to break it, feeling the tension in the air. Kristy glanced sideways. She opened her mouth once, as if to say something…but nothing came out.

Legolas stared ahead.

"We had best move soon, before your soldiers see us." Aragorn said, glancing between them. Tauriel was gathered in his arms, and he let the prompt settle in the air.

But he felt it sink like a rock, leaving ripples on the lake.

Their plan could fail. Kristine and Legolas might not see each other again…ever. If their plan did fail, they would be captured and used to answer every question Kristine's country wanted to know. They would never get back home. Kristine would face criminal charges. They would be parted on silly, bitter terms for all eternity.

Didn't they realize that?

Legolas was still an instant, before pushing the door open and getting out on the freeway. "I am ready."

… Apparently not.

Estel lingered. "Kristine, I thank you for your help in this ordeal."

She turned in her seat, blue-green eyes blinking, before glancing down with a self-conscious twitch. "I… it's alright."

"I know your part in this has not been without risk." he said quieter yet.

Kristy looked down, trying to put as much strength in her words as possible. "I, um, thank you Aragorn. It's all right, really. I don't regret it. I mean no matter how it looks, you know with…" she glanced at Legolas' rigid, angry body standing outside. "…with him."

Estel let his mouth twitch into a tiny smile. "Yes, he is stubborn at times."

"Yeah." She agreed. "I just hope you make it alright."

"Lle hannon." Estel murmured, before Legolas opened the door and reached in for Tauriel. Kristy watched him go with a wretched, miserable expression on her face.

"Fare thee well!"

And suddenly, they were just about to take off toward the line of trees, and Kristy called through the open window. "Legolas!"

The elf glanced back.

Kris bit the inside of her lip, panting, racing for something to say…before saying too quiet to hear. "Good luck, Legolas."

He stared an instant, rigid in the cloudy light, before turning and following Aragorn off the freeway and into the trees. She watched him go with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Damn elf." She muttered, slouching back in the seat. He just wasn't worth it sometimes.

. . . . . .

Freezing water dashed over stones and sloshed up on the snowy banks. Legolas picked his way over the rough shore, Tauriel in his arms, following Aragorn's tracks. His boots skipped from rock to rock, gusts rushing in his ears and buffeting him in the wind-swept gulley. It was fiercely cold.

"So…what is all this with Kristine?" Aragorn spoke up, making towards a wet, stone drainage tunnel. Water poured from the mouth and it was black inside, but it led into the city.

Legolas kept his mouth shut, refusing to answer.

"Is your pride really so unbending? Surely this is not all for such a simple mistake, my friend." Estel said again. "You are not one to hold grudges."

Tauriel shifted against his chest, and he looked down. She was doing it more and more, almost waking…ever since the cabin. He caught a glimpse of jade-green eyes fluttering under dark, thick lashes. So beautiful. It reminded him of just what he could have lost so easily, so flippantly.

They reached the stone block where the steel pipe dumped shallow, freezing water. Legolas lifted Tauriel up onto the block, before leaping up after her. Aragorn was a step behind and then beside, about to enter the tunnel. He was going to slosh through the water and into darkness…but he paused.

"Aragorn, please." he sighed in exasperation.

"No," the ranger took Legolas' arm and kept him there. "Listen to me, my friend. Hear me." And suddenly, a twinge of a smile pulled at his mouth. "For I obviously know better than you."

Legolas gave a skeptical look.

"Do _not_ make enemies where you have none." He warned him anyway. "You have plenty of those. Friends are harder to find."

"She does not wish to be my friend."

Aragorn stepped back, eyes glinting. "You truly think that?"

"She has not been my friend today!" he snapped. The humor instantly faded from his eyes. "And she certainly was not yesterday, or the night she-she…" Legolas turned away, clutching Tauriel tighter in his arms.

"Kristine only desires to help you."

"And what of Tauriel?" he bit out. "Did she wish to help when she nearly killed her? When she deserted her and left her to the whim of the enemy? I do not need that kind of help, Estel. And I do not need that kind of friend."

Legolas made to walk on, but Aragorn grabbed his arm again, jerking him back. "What are those eyes for, you fool of an elf?" he chided surprisingly earnest. It made Legolas pause. "Can you not see? It is as plain as your poin-" Aragorn stopped, glancing to his rounded, human ears, before thinking better of it. "It is plain to me what has happened. If you do not reconcile with her now, you will lose her."

Legolas stared at him, jaw set stubbornly, before turning his face away. "I…I cannot let her treat Tauriel so. They are close to me, both of them. I must _choose_. And you know I cannot choose Kristine."

Aragorn pulled a hood over his head, leaving just a solemn unshaved mouth. And then, he muttered. "Very well, my obstinate friend. It is your life to live as you will."

…Kris pulled out from the guard station as fast as possible, breath skipping in her chest. That was close! The army soldier at the station recognized the little car as the same type that broke through station 22. He even ran her license plate. But there was nothing on her. She didn't have a criminal record…really, no record at all. She hadn't accomplished anything of note, either good or bad. Never was she so glad of that.

He let her go with a grim wave.

Making her way through the city, Kristy was nervous the whole time she drove. Her thoughts drifted to Aragorn. From what she could tell from the books, there really wasn't anything impossible for him. But he was out of his element. How could he stay thinking clearly, surrounded by such foreignness? Legolas…he was already so upset. And whose fault was that?

Hers.

Madison and 3rd didn't come soon enough. She was so agitated, searching and scanning the throng of passersby, she kept imagining Legolas' blonde head in the crowd. She saw policemen stopping them, wondering at the cloak Aragorn insisted on wearing. He took some clothes of Legolas' to wear beneath, but still…

It would be so easy to lose them. In a blink of an eye, a snap of a finger, all this could be for nothing. They could be gone.

…

Bright white light broke from behind the clouds as Aragorn and Legolas stepped out into the sun. Towering, steel monsters clawed at the sky overhead. The constant roar of traffic was already a dull hum.

"Aragorn."

Estel glanced back.

"Aragorn!" Legolas looked up quickly, "Tauriel, she…she is waking."

"Keep your eyes on her." He warned. "Do not let her cry out."

But she wasn't shouting… It came slowly, and as block after block passed, taking side-streets and secluded alleys mostly, she was stirring into consciousness. Legolas felt the muscles in her legs moving as she twisted in his arms.

"Tauriel…?" he said softly.

Madison and 3rd was coming up, just a block away now, and he didn't know what to do with her! What would she do when she saw the city around her. Brick, stone, and steel like this could suffocate a Woodland elf. It nearly did him.

"My Tauriel, can you hear me? It is Legolas."

"Legolas…" she mumbled through numb, stiff lips. "Legolas?"

"Estel, she remembers me!" he exclaimed with joy. "I told you."

Aragorn shook his head. "You just told her your name, Legolas."

"Oh…I did." Legolas frowned once, before pushing the thought down. "Well I am sure she does anyway."

"Legolas…?" she whispered again, half delirious. He saw her emerald eyes open, scanning the buildings around her, the windows tinted black, people and scores of faces…all different, all moving.

And suddenly, the captain jolted awake. She flew her eyes open and looked wildly over the sky. A burst of foul smell, gas, fumes, sounds and shouts of honking, squealing, chirping tires filled her ears. Panic stabbed through her like ice and she kicked out of Legolas' grip. Her boots landed on pavement.

"Tauriel, it is all right."

"No…" she staggered back, gasping. "What is this? What place is this?"

"It is-"

"- The trees!" she burst out in thick Sindarin, spinning around, stumbling. "W-where are the _trees_?"

"Tauriel! It is alright. Settle down-" He didn't make it.

She fought him off violently and Aragorn reached to grab her wrist, but she twisted out of it. She would have broken her own arm to do it.

"Tauriel!" he shouted.

Tauriel bolted wildly down the street, pushing people aside. Shocked eyes and ears were on them, and they couldn't shout out after her again… The police! Red hair flew out behind her like dark flames and Legolas grimaced, before sprinting after her. Aragorn was a step behind.

Legolas caught glimpses and flashes of her through the pushing, peering throng. It was rush hour; everyone was hurrying to get home before the curfew. But the woman was so small. She just dove and slipped between them. Legolas had to push and shove his way through every one.

"Tauriel!" he called out in desperation, one last time. There was already so much noise he didn't care. Dusk was falling. He had to get her back! If she was out after dark, the soldiers would get her. He'd lose her; he'd lose her again and he couldn't take it. " _Tauriel!"_

And then a glimpse of silver shot up into his peripheral vision and he slowed, panting. _Kristine._ Damn this weak, human body. In his panic, he could barely even spit out what he had to say. He'd barely slept in days and his mind, body and soul were exhausted. This was no _time_ for exhaustion. He had to catch her!

"Kristy!" he shouted through the people's irritated, pushing glances. They were between him and her. It was always like this, always something between himself and the thing he needed. "Tauriel broke away. She woke up and now she looks for trees. But there are none. We must _find_ her!"

"Trees?" Kristy grimaced in confusion, pulled up against the curb. _Did she hear right?_ She must have.

Trust a stupid elf to scramble through a city looking for _trees_.

"Where'd she go? There?" she pointed vigorously in the direction he was headed.

Legolas couldn't get to her. He wanted to pull the door open and tell her where to go, to get her back himself. But there wasn't time. Kristy's face tightened into a frown and she turned away, speeding off through honks and shouts of angry citizens.

 _Tauriel._ She was gone. He couldn't do anything.

Aragorn ran up at that moment, glancing around fast. "Where is she? What happened? Was that not Kristine?"

Legolas nodded mutely. "It was."

It took a long moment, heart pounding and slowing in his chest, before he realized what happened. Kristy had taken off without him. And he didn't like it.

 _Trees._ That's where she said she was going. Trees…trees…Where were the closest trees? Kris looked from side to side, searching for flaming red hair, policemen…anything that might be the former elf's trail. But she only had the ruckus in the crowds to follow. There was a parting line that slid shut again on the busy sidewalk, stumbling citizens, spilled fruit. All this, Kristy followed to keep track of her.

And then, a thought struck her. _Farview..._ That had trees. The park was just a couple of blocks ahead, too. Maybe that was where she'd stop.

Kris didn't bother parking or pulling in once she got there. She pulled up against the curb, caught the glimpse of green and red running full-speed up the street…and then she realized something. There was a high, arching bridge between Tauriel and the bare, black branches of the park. It was a twenty foot drop into freezing water if she didn't. _Would she realize that?_

Kristy didn't know, and she didn't want to chance it. Legolas would be devastated… She'd prove him right if she let her drop, if she died in that frigid water. But that wasn't the reason Kris slammed the door shut and bolted after the elf.

… She'd spent all this time wondering why the woman had to be here. She wanted to know why she came in the first place, why things couldn't just go on the same. Aragorn was Legolas' friend. He was good for him. Kristy was glad he was here. But Tauriel… _what was she to Legolas?_ Was she here to steal him away, capture his heart and crush it? It was like Legolas was a different person around her, even when she was asleep and not guilty of anything. He was different. He didn't need Kris, didn't even want her.

Kristy sprinted down the street, past the curb, up the windy, blinding bridge with its fierce wind and white light. She saw Tauriel stagger to the edge, straining for the spread of snow-swept grass, trees, water rippling far below. And she climbed the rail. Kristy saw her eyes now. They weren't focused; they were wild and untamed. She wasn't thinking. Now she knew what the media was talking about…the violent, raving lunatics roaming the streets.

Kristy ran up and slammed into the barrier, then reached up and grabbed onto her clothes. Tauriel staggered back and fought the grip she was in, holding onto the rail. She struggled so hard Kristy almost thought she lost her…But then a sharp pull and the elf toppled.

"God!" she hissed, landing on her back. Kris landed on the pavement with a grunt, and she couldn't hold onto the woman anymore. "Damn it!" Kristy coughed, staring, wincing in pain at a dizzying blur of white. It was the sky.

"T-tauriel…" she grimaced, forcing herself up on her elbows. The world spun out and Kris touched her head, flinching. Warm blood oozed from her temple, and it was sticky and hot in her fingers. She stared at it, feeling stunned and confused…before forcing herself to look up.

 _Tauriel_.

She was against the wall, shivering, panting, staring at the massive bridge. Tauriel's eyes were wide and gaping. Frenzied traffic whizzed back and forth.

Kristy lost her breath.

The look in those eyes made Kris' heart slow and she sunk down. They weren't fierce and angry, like when she held the arrow at her throat. They were terrified. Tears spilled down her dirty face and she searched Kristy's desperately, looking for answers, something…anything. Whispered babbling poured from her lips and then, Kristy was overwhelmed with a surge of pity.

"Tauriel…" Kristy reached up and held her by the shoulders, helping her listen. Kris's Westron was terrible, but it had to help. It had to do something _._ "Your name is Tauriel. You're here on Earth. I know you don't know where you are, but everything is fine. You're alright. I promise."

She shook her head, still confused, afraid. And Kristy shuffled down beside, letting the woman into her arms.

"It's alright…" she whispered, rubbing her freezing hands. "It's okay. Legolas will be here soon. I swear. He'll know what to do."

As if on cue, Legolas appeared in her peripheral vision. Aragorn jogged over the arching bridge, dark hair whipping in the wind. She saw the fierce, desperate look of fear first: Legolas.

The elf stared.

 _Kristy…_ She'd done it. Tauriel was sheltered in her arms, shaking. The two sat huddled against the barring wall, shielded from bitter wind. The flood of relief almost consumed him. He slowed, panting more from panic than fatigue, and Kristy looked up. He searched her eyes as he whispered Tauriel's name.

"She's fine." Kris shook, lifting her arm so Legolas could reach her.

He couldn't think of the words to say. _She saved her…_ She saved her even after all that had happened. She didn't hate her. Oh, how wrong he was! Legolas knotted his hands in the red-brown hair, unable to express what he felt.

"Thank you." he said instead. Her eyes, stormy gray in the cloudy light, began to sparkle as snow fell in her lashes. Legolas heard Aragorn skid down beside. He knew he took Tauriel from his arms and was searching her for signs of shock, of fever, of sickness.

"Kristine…" he whispered, fingers trailing upward. The feelings, so baffling, so overwhelming rushing through him…he couldn't understand. He didn't know what to say. But her eyes were wet and she was cold. Red stained the pavement and it was blood: Kristy's blood.

"Thank you." He whispered more fiercely and he captured her forehead, kissing it.

There was nothing else to be done. Aragorn helped a stumbling Tauriel to her feet, Legolas supported her in his arms, and they went wordlessly…home.

 _. . ._

 _Thank you._

Kristy lay on a cot in the corner. A scarlet-haired captain rested nearby, finally sleeping peacefully in Kris' bed. She was unsteady, but that spirit was fiery and strong. She'd walked to the car and managed to stay on her feet the whole way up to the apartment, Legolas explaining everything he could remember as he went.

 _Thank you..._

That's what he said, all he said. Did he mean it? Was he grateful for what she did? Did that mean he forgave her for… for almost getting his dear Tauriel killed? For all the stupid arguments they had?

Kris just didn't know. It drove her mad. She couldn't stay still. She couldn't sleep, despite Estel practically _ordering_ her to. He was right. Of course he was right! She was exhausted and cold. Kris just kept remembering the terrible things she'd said to Legolas in the last two days.

Why did guilt turn to fury so fast? Was it because he was so angry, she had to defend herself against him? Or was Legolas right, was she _jealous_ of the fiery haired Tauriel?

She just didn't know.

And she didn't know what had happened to Legolas. He'd settled into some kind of contentment here, she thought. Sometimes she thought he was happy. They had a simple life together for a time and it was for the most part, wonderful. But now it was...different. Legolas was different. He was hard and focused, yet always on something else. Thinking about his old home maybe, or Tauriel, everything that made him restless, irritable, and discontent.

Kristy tossed and turned under the covers, trying to forget. She tried to push it over her mind and not think about it. But she was cold, freezing actually. And it was too weird to sleep in the same bed as Tauriel. The heater was out from the power failures and Kris wasn't used to it.

And suddenly…she couldn't take it anymore.

Kristy pushed the covers off and crept over to the door, before slipping out and into the living room. Moonlight poured through the drapes, settling in faint silver crystals on the sheets.

Aragorn snored quietly on a plush, leather recliner across the room. Kristy stared at him. Then to Legolas, sleeping on the roll-away couch, face down in warm pillows.

The sight was so peaceful, so quiet. Kristy wanted to crawl up on the bed and touch Legolas awake. She wanted to ask him if they could be friends again. She wanted to say 'I'm sorry' without any of the _if's_ and _but's,_ the stupid pride that made her miserable.

But she didn't.

She shuffled through the room…aimlessly wandering. The kitchen was dark and it made her feel colder; she didn't want to go in there. She hovered near the frigid window, staring out over the city. This was home. Why didn't it feel like it?

Kristy fell against the balcony sliding door, in the dark, and she felt the cold glass under her hands. She didn't know how long she stayed like that, remembering the pictures on the news, the poor people, anything that came through that rift, even Legolas. Especially Legolas.

He was under so much pressure now. His whole world was upside down. _Why did she have to treat him so badly?_ She acted like a petty school girl for days. And over what? Retaliation? Jealousy?

She was breathing fast now. Kris felt the dark weigh down on her until it was crushing. She couldn't think of a way out, a _ny_ way...

And then she felt the warm brush of fingers on her bare shoulder.

Instantly, Kristy hissed and spun around. The first thing she realized were shadowed, keen blue eyes peering down at her. She froze.

"Legolas," she said, shocked. "I-I-"

He lifted a single finger and placed it gently over her mouth, effectively shushing her.

Kris looked up. In the cool dark, she saw his gleaming eyes and the outline of his bare, broad shoulders in the moonlight. He tilted his head to the side, slowly dropping his hand from her mouth. And then, he held her chin in his parted fingers.

"Legolas, I…uh," Kristy looked down, heart pounding in her ears. She remembered every minute of silence after the bridge, how he hadn't said a word, how she wanted him to. But Aragorn was there, so was Tauriel. She couldn't muster what it took to talk to him.

"Y-you don't have a shirt on." She said stupidly.

She wanted to hit herself an instant later. This was her chance and she blew it!

 _That's it?_ That's all she had to say? He didn't have a shirt?

Legolas stared at her, narrowing his eyes in the faint light, confused. Did she not feel the same way? Didn't this fighting make her miserable and lonely?

And then, Legolas sighed. He dropped his hand from her face. Kristy was shivering, and not from cold this time. She was doing that thing with her mouth again…the nervous twitch that told him she wanted to cringe. He wanted to say something to her. He couldn't stand this stupidity any longer.

"Kristine," he whispered. He held her shoulders in his hands, offering enough pressure to tug her closer, if she wanted him. But she pulled back.

"Let us not do this any longer. I cannot stand it. Can we not make things better again?"

In the semi-dark, she lifted unsteady eyes.

"Kristy…" he said even fainter. He gently skimmed the skin of her arm and felt it dimple under his touch. She suddenly seemed so small, so fragile. "…little one, I am sorry. What can I say?" Legolas asked. He felt hollow, like he was missing something. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe he needed forgiveness. Maybe he needed her. "Kristine?"

Her chin trembled violently and she held her breath to hold back a sob.

"Kristy, I'm saying I am sorry. I want your forgiveness."

Suddenly, she let the breath go with a gasp. "I'm s-sorry…" she sobbed and hiccuped a few more lungfuls of air. "I'm so sorry, Legolas. I didn't- I didn't mean to let that thing into the cabin. I didn't, I swear."

Legolas shook his head. His pride faded and he dipped his head, seeking her eyes. "I know that, little one. I know. There is no excuse, no reason for what I did. I did not mean what I said." He tugged on her. He couldn't explain it, but his body ached to hold her. It felt devastatingly empty. "I did not mean it, Kristy."

Kristy whispered his name. She inwardly screamed it when Legolas pulled her closer and crushed her against his chest. Her feet left the floor and he squeezed the breath out of her with the force of his hug. _Anger._ Real, bitter anger… _for her?_ It was unnatural. He couldn't stand it.

Legolas let her slide to the floor and he swayed with her, knotting his hands in her hair. He pulled his fingers through the tangles in her locks until his hands slid through freely. She was a familiar anchor in a tide of chaos and confusion. She was a laugh at a funeral procession. She was forever in a day, so very mortal and alive. She was a warm body, a beating heart he could feel under his hands… She was thick tangles of hair he could gather in fistfuls, a fierce, calming presence he could bask in, without his _fea,_ withoutanything else but her touch.

"You are precious to me, Kristy." he whispered without realizing. The sheer sensation of her body clinging to him; he was heady on the scent of her skin. He crushed her fiercely. He buried his face in her neck and whispered it again, "…so precious. I will not lose you for anything."

Kris went limp in his arms and let him hug her. It felt so terribly good. She caressed the back of his neck, feeling the silky fibers of his hair.

"I know." She whispered. Maybe she did, maybe she didn't. "I k-know."

And slowly, Legolas reluctantly pulled back. He rested his chin on her head, inhaling deeply. Then he ran his hands down her sides and rested them on her hips. He looked down, holding her sides.

"No… I think not." He tilted his head to one side, staring into her closed eyes. No matter how close he leaned, she wouldn't open them. She did very, very carefully run her hands up his chest to rest on his shoulders though. And then, he kissed the tip of her chin.

"I love her, Kristy." He whispered.

Kris's eyes shot open.

"Yes," he almost smiled at that expression. "I do believe so."

Kristy looked up, utterly shocked, horrified. He didn't even notice. _Maybe he didn't care._ He was too busy staring dreamily out the window, past her.

"Estel knows. I parted ways with her long before I met that Dunedain…" Legolas continued, glancing to the man sleeping on the lazy boy, before admitting. "But he does know. I think he does not approve, either. I know not why."

"Legolas, I…" Kristy tried to shuffle back, but he didn't let her. He glanced down, curious, before smiling harder and capturing her face.

"I cannot explain the rush of feelings I had when I saw her. I remembered sun and trees, happy times and children. Dancing. Now do not worry, sweet one." He fairly grinned, showing sparkling white teeth. "I know I owe you an explanation -"

"No!" Kristy burst in a whisper, "No, please Legolas. You don't owe me anything. I-I don't want to hear this. Please don't make me."

The elf's eyes furrowed. "I… do not understand."

"Please I'm," Kris looked down and up, frantically thinking of an excuse. "I'm tired and-and I'm cold, that's all."

"Oh." he said slowly. Something inside him stung, like a bite. Was he… _hurt_? Did she actually hurt his feelings, just because she didn't want to hear of his love life? Or rather, the love life he wished he had…

He didn't want to see her go. And more, he didn't want to sleep alone. Her fingers started fidgeting with his chest and his face spread into a warm, mischievous smile. "Then sleep with me."

Kris blinked. "What?"

"Sleep with me." He took her hand, slowly interlacing their fingers. Legolas tugged on her gently. "You are shaking. Keep warm with me."

"I…oh, I-I really don't think so." She shook her head vehemently, trying not to let him lead her to the bed. He just kept smiling, his king-fisher blue eyes gleaming in the dark. "I don't think it's a good idea, Legs. You know, with T-tauriel and everything…"

"Nonsense." Legolas grinned, before sliding onto the bed backwards, dragging his legs up after him. He would make amends with her and put things back the way they were. He felt his Sylvan side surge to life. "Come on."

"Oh…"

"Come _on._ " He insisted.

Carefully, Kristy crawled up onto the bed and Legolas slid the blankets over her legs. She shivered, from cold and nervousness, and she felt every shift of the mattress as he shuffled down. The sheets were exquisitely warm where he'd lain and Kris slipped down next to him.

A few moments passed, Legolas on his side, an arm pillowing his head as he stared at her. A mad, delighted smile pulled at his mouth and he couldn't stop. Reconciliation was such a wonderful thing. The woman stared breathlessly into the dark, feeling the rise and fall of the sheets with every gentle breath he took.

"Kristine."

"Yes?"

"Goodnight." He murmured.

"I…" she sighed, "g'night."

. . .

 **A/N: Thanks for reading, and reviewing if you have the time! I hope you enjoyed it. :))**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hello! Here we are a week until Thanksgiving…hardly able to believe it. So happy early Holidays!**

 **Ana: Okay, 1 round with Legolas… But take it easy on him, huh? :)**

 **REMdream: Oh, thank you!**

 **Dreamer: She can't very well help it if Kris envies her though. Kristy could at least wait until she can protest!**

 **Thank you for your reviews Scylla's revenge, ana, Trich, WickedGreene13, Niceguys, i-am-naeblis, Raider-K, Aearvir, shophiescastle, melodicechoes, . .ra, WinnieFawn, Araloth the Random, , Andy the willow tree, REMdream, Guest, dreamer, Jshaw0624, Guest, LadyPorpoise, Ninde, Andy the willow tree, TreehouseCity, Iduna, SparkyTAS, CalistaLegaci, Woman of Letters, dreamer, Woman of Letters, Amateur Bacon Cook, WyomingCowboy15, and middleagemanager!**

 **I appreciate them so much. Really, they're like smiles on a cloudy day. :))**

. . .

 _Fall seven times; stand up eight._ – Japanese Proverb

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

No Fraternizing with the Enemy

. . .

Kristy woke up to the gentle, rhythmic feel of someone's breathing. _Tick…tock…tick…_ she sighed.Infernal clock. It woke her up every time.

Cool air on her ear sent a chill running down her neck, and then warmth of the exhale made her spine tingle… She registered the firm body pressed up against her back, and it made her smile in the dreamy, hazy world of sleep. She knew who it was long before her conscious mind did. Kris turned her face into the warm pillows, breathing in his scent…pines, leather. The full, heady scent of shorn grass in the rain filled her senses, like a rainforest in the night, or sweet tea leaves.

"Legolas…" she breathed without realizing it. It was a sigh, or a wish, something she did almost without thinking about it.

No answer.

He was asleep.

And suddenly, Kris went still. She became terrified to move, afraid of waking him in the dusky, predawn light. But she had to see him. Very, very carefully she shifted onto her back and tilted her chin to gaze up into his dark, closed lashes. His hair was messy and it twisted every which way: over his eyes, down his neck. It was long enough to reach past his collar now and… _oh good God!_ Kris jolted awake. He didn't have a collar!

Kristy remembered all of last night: the apologies, hair, his hugs, his… _acute_ shirtlessness, and then admission. He-he loved…Tauriel. Of course he loved her.

Kris looked away. Why did the thought bother her? It was wonderful! She should be happy for him, for her, for bothof them. Jubilant! She should be overjoyed. Legolas found his one, true mate. He-he …

"Oh, Legolas." she whimpered again, so faint he didn't stir.

Kristy looked up and trailed her eyes over his face. Her hands unwillingly found themselves under the blankets, touching him, grazing his skin, feeling how it tingled under her touch. He was so warm, so all-enveloping. All she could think of, laying in the semi-dark, contemplating what she was losing… his chiseled face, the warm sweet smile that sparkled in his eyes when he was happy.

Kristy closed her eyes, sliding her fingers up his smooth arm so he held her more tightly. _God, it felt good._ She felt his muscles tense slowly, like taut cord at the movement, a strung bowstring, and she thought she woke him. But then, he went lax again and so did she.

Maybe he'd only smile for _her_. Maybe he would only laugh when she was close. His hands would develop a liking for fondling her hair, hovering near her constantly. He'd always be looking at her, touching her…just like he did now, only worse. He-he'd… -

Legolas registered glittering rays of sunlight pouring through the break in the drapes and he cracked his eyes open. Kristy's shifting let in a cool gust of air. The former elf shivered, pulling her closer out of reflex. To his surprise though, she was more than willing. He felt her cold fingers dig into him, and she buried her face in his shoulder.

 _Hm._

Kristy's eyes squeezed shut just as he glanced down, as if in pain. And Legolas realized something. She didn't know he was awake. The thought amused him. Obviously, she thought his body heat was hers for the taking.

"Cold…?" his voice said, quiet and husky from sleep.

Kris jolted.

"Ssh!" he hushed, half-laughing. The violent lurch made the bed shift a little. "You will wake Estel." He warned.

Kristy turned her eyes wildly from the lazy-boy across the living room to Legolas' tiny, amused smile. She spluttered in a whisper, "Ah... I-I, god, let me go."

"But it is not yet morning, even." He protested. "Stay a little longer."

"I-I…no, I can't." she squirmed against him weakly, grimacing. "Let me go!"

And obediently, Legolas lifted his arm.

"Alright."

Kris immediately went still. She was suddenly left cuddled against him extremely one-sidedly. She glanced down, as if unable to believe he was so willing to obey. He smiled harder. And the rush of freezing air seemed to change her mind.

"O-okay, little longer." She hissed shakily, still breathing quick. "I'll stay down. Don't let go."

It _was_ terribly cold. Legolas had to admit. It even chilled him, and he was used to it. So Legolas rested back down. These blankets were exquisitely warm. And suddenly, Kristy shivered. Her legs automatically pulled up at the rush of cold air as he dropped the blankets again.

Legolas winced.

"Sorry." She mumbled in a tiny whisper.

"… s'alright." He untangled his legs from hers and carefully pushed her knee down from between his legs. It didn't hurt very much, but with a nervous Kristy… it felt dangerous having her in that position.

"Alright, come here." He whispered.

Kris amenably, carefully nestled down against him again. Legolas closed his eyes and squeezed her tight once, smiling in that everything was perfect between them. It felt so good. Tauriel didn't change anything. How wrong he was. Legolas sighed into Kristy's hair, their breaths in synch, warming together as the blankets settled.

She wasn't jealous.

She wasn't envious.

"Kristine?" he murmured after a little while. The scent of her hair filled his senses and he smiled in bliss. Legolas' face rested on her head; light filtered into the room and he watched the sunrise come in through the window. It was cold…but beautiful and peaceful. Hazy blue sky promised a sparkling day for once. For once, he had a bright feeling for the future. Could he have both worlds? Perhaps he didn't have to choose.

"Hm." she grunted.

"You said it was a holiday soon…eh, Christmas?"

"Yeah…" she huffed, rolling her eyes and fidgeting with his fingers. "Some Christmas Eve this is."

"Hm." He murmured. "Tauriel must see the city today, I think." Legolas smiled anyway, ignoring the dark remark and thinking of all the wondrous things to show her.

"She saw it yesterday."

Legolas didn't mean to, but he stiffened. "Yes, but only its terrible side. She must see that she can survive here, for awhile, that it is not _all_ bad." Fountains in the gardens, revolving doors…he'd show her the safe inside of a car instead of the chaotic, terrifying traffic from the outside. They were totally different worlds.

She still didn't say anything.

Legolas glanced down. "Is anything wrong, Kristine?"

"Course not." She mumbled. His doubtful silence spoke volumes, so she finished. "…just tired, and 'little cold."

"Well," he beamed, suddenly happy again. "Aren't you glad you chose to be here then?"

Kristy forced herself up onto one arm, pulling away from him a little. "What do _you_ know about it?"

Legolas blinked. His hair got in the way and he stretched out on his back, brushing it away. He couldn't understand the sudden outburst, and he tried to gauge her expression, confused. He couldn't.

"What?"

" _How_ do you know where I want to be?" she asked utterly seriously.

After all, he didn't asked.He never did. And he didn't ask if she wanted to sleep with him either! They had before of course. Yes! But-but that was different. Tauriel wasn't here before. She'd thought…well, she didn't know what she thought. But Legolas' admission last night was like a blunted blow. It didn't make sense. It shouldn't matter but…

But it did.

And then, she looked up and instantly regretted her words. There was barely concealed hurt in his gray eyes.

"It just so happened that I did want to…" she added, putting a faint, false smile on her mouth. He looked too confused, too wounded. She couldn't stand doing that to him, no matter how much she wanted to hit back against the dull ache clamping down in her chest. "Actually you're kind of warm. You know that, elf?"

Legolas didn't quite answer, before reaching up and brushing her face with the tips of his fingers. "Are you all right, Kristy?"

"Fine." She shifted her gaze uncomfortably to his mouth, the unruly lock of hair on his forehead, the grain of the pillows. Anything but his eyes. "I'm fine; scout's honor."

"…really?" He said tentatively, looking at her.

And then he furrowed his brows and slipped his fingers around her neck to ease her down again. She crumpled into the crook of his arm, pressing her face down on his chest.

"Really."

The tension in Legolas' spine eased a little, and he relaxed back in the pillows. Their positions had changed a little, though. She wasn't flush with him anymore. Kristy settled down at an angle, so the warmth of her body was in the cold sheets and not tangled in his legs. Her fingers curled into claws under the blankets, leaving white prints on his skin.

"I…did not mean that." He clarified anyway, still a little unsettled. "I meant to ask you a question."

Legolas glanced down over her dark blonde hair, chestnut in the faint light. Just her head rested on his chest. _Did she really not want to be here?_

"You didn't ask a question."

"I am sorry." He insisted, suddenly wondering if the statement meant double things. "I… I did not think you minded being here."

 _She didn't mind before._ Was this reaction because of Tauriel? Did she think the captain would be angry if she caught them sharing a bed? It was ridiculous! This was exactly what he was trying to _prove_ to Kristy, that nothing changed between them. They were still close.

"I don't mind." she said quietly.

Wonderful.

That was the most insincere denial he'd ever heard. _Hadn't they fought enough already?_

Legolas raced through his head frantically for something to say. There was tension in the air again. There wasn't _supposed_ to be tension. Not with Kristy, not like this!

Legolas twisted slightly under her weight, unhappy.

With just the barest effort, there were so many weeks of peace. He was almost… almostcontent. Weren't there whole _minutes_ gone by that he didn't think of home? Those were happy minutes with Kristine, when he forgot how badly he wanted to go back and never remember this wretched, Valar-forsaken place.

That was what he needed! That's what he needed right now…some minutes of warmth and pleasure, gentle sunlight, companionable silence.

"I… Kristy," he spoke up quietly. Legolas lifted an arm and rubbed her shoulders warmly, affectionately, trying to soothe her. "I know what your answer will be, but I must ask you all the same."

"Shoot."

"Uh…" he said carefully, easing his hands down to her arms. Legolas would ignore these feelings, the entire conversation, hope they'd go away. "I wanted to _ask_ you, my little one, if you would care for Tauriel." He said instead.

Kris didn't answer.

"You know, in the-" Legolas cut off, wondering how to phrase it. Suddenly, he felt uncomfortable. "I mean the… ah, feminine… areas."

Still no answer.

"Kristine?" he shifted, glancing down. "You know, if they are the same here, as-as-"

Kristy smirked, wondering if he was going to stop.

"… as Arda, whatever you need for your…things." Legolas glanced down and up, suddenly wondering why such a simple request was turning so hard. He grappled desperately for what to say. _Why didn't she answer him?_

"I would not pretend to know." He rushed on, suddenly anxious. "I-I mean that I know you're clothes and such are, ah, _different_ then Tauriel's. But they must be essentially the same, whatever you need underneath and for-for…womanly things. I-"

And Legolas felt her vibrate with a suppressed laugh.

She lifted her head off his shoulder. "Yes, I _do_ believe they're pretty much the same everywhere, Legolas."

And he realized just how fast his heart hammered under her hand. The fiendish little woman let him go on and on, just for her own amusement. She had felt that pounding under her palm all this time… and she was laughing.

She was laughing at _him._

"And yes, I can help with the _feminine_ areas, what-what _ever_ they are." She mimicked him with a barely suppressed giggle.

Legolas groaned, pushing her face away. Kristy just laughed.

"Oh you're such a man, Legs."

" _You_ are such a…" Legolas scrunched his forehead, trying to think of a retaliation. Instead, he grabbed her face as she jumped away from him, and he kissed her nose. "You are such a _female_."

… And instantly, too fast to blink, Kristy dove forward and kissed him back.

Well it happened.

Legolas hissed a sharp breath in surprise. Kristy's lips touched his; they were hot and they captured his mouth. He felt her breath on his face for such a spontaneous second…it left him stunned. He was dazed. He wasn't expecting it; he…he wasn't thinking.

But then, as fast as it was there, it was gone. Kristy pulled back and looked at him, unsure, suddenly anxious.

"I…" Legolas glanced down and up, suddenly unsure of what to say. And then, licking his lips, fierce confusion shooting through his eyes… Legolas laughed.

Kris didn't know what to do. Instantly she was terrified. She couldn't acknowledge why. No, she _wouldn't_ acknowledge why. She desperately put the right expression on her face: a happy, flippant smile.

"… thank you?"

She panted, forcing a brilliant grin. "You're welcome."

Legolas stared at her. Instantly, the fun sapped out of him and he was left feeling…dizzy. He was missing something; he had to be. His heart pounded erratically in his chest. "I… ah, what does it mean?"

Kristy's eyes went icy. Oh God _,_ 'what does it mean'? Why would he ask that? What had she been _thinking_? No, this couldn't be happening. It was like a nightmare.

"W-what?" she said stupidly.

Uncertainty flickered through Legolas and he leaned back on his arms, glancing over her face. "…what does it mean?"

"Oh." she instantly grappled for words. So it wasn't too late. He thought she wanted to _tell_ him something. There was still time to save herself, if she acted fast enough. "Um, it means that-that I-" Kristy stumbled on the word. _Think of something to say._ Say it. Say it! "…like you. I mean, that's w-what people do in my family, like to brothers. It's a compliment."

A slow moment passed.

"You consider me as … family?" he asked carefully.

Kristy's heart dropped into her stomach. "Um, yes?"

And then, a smile spread gradually over Legolas' face. _How could have he thought her jealous over Tauriel?_ She was such a friend to him. She was welcoming him as family!

"I believe I like the sound of that." He said softly. "I mean to say, I thought I had come to understand all your strange English customs. I did not know this."

"Well," she coughed in gagging relief, shuffling off the bed. She back-stepped and almost tipped the lamp over, but she managed to right it. "I didn't ei- … I mean, I-I didn't thinkto tell you about it, either."

"You think of me as _family_?" he asked in a louder whisper, hardly able to believe it. He crawled off the bed after her.

Now that he thought of it, Legolas had not put Kristy anywhere. She was friend, confidant, soothing place where he could come when he was stressed…if he was lucky. Sometimes she was fire that seared and cut him down. But that was only when they fought. Most of the time she was a fierce glow that burned in his chest, warm and familiar.

"Yeah." she shrugged, suddenly so conscious of every look, every expression that crossed her face. She wanted to hide, turn away. But if she ran now he'd ask why!

Why?Why _did_ she do it? It was perfectly innocent fun. _Why did she have to ruin it?_ Did she think she would never get the chance again? Was she satisfied? Kristy almost gave a cynical laugh, even as she tried to keep from looking at Legolas' face.

 _Yeah, satisfied_ …

"And," he continued carefully, putting the pieces together, "…and this is your affection to family."

"Heck, I… yeah," she glanced down and up, writhing under his eyes and twisting her hands. "Yes, it is. But you know, it's nothing. I didn't really mean anything by it-"

"No, Kristine. Let me accept this." he interrupted, "please, sister in heart."

Kris didn't think it could get worse. Her heart hammered in her ribs and she almost pushed him back. But she didn't… And it did. Oh, it really did get worse. _Sister?_ That's what he wanted her to be?

"Do not be embarrassed." He insisted, watching her back away. Legolas hesitated as she leaned away, but he couldn't afford to lose this opportunity. Besides, he liked the idea…kind of. There was no tension between friends and family, or between lover. It was a strange thought: Kristy, family. But maybe manageable.

"I am flattered and grateful. Thank you." he reached up and touched her cheek. Kris almost flinched at it, but he didn't drop away. It was a warm, affectionate touch…

"Thank you."

 **. . .**

"Okay… where to first?" Kris slammed the door shut and punched the car speakers on.

Katy Perry filled the car with a pounding beat that made every ear flinch…and Estel quickly turned it down. Tauriel was being meticulously cared for in the back seat by a certain blonde 'brother', and he glanced at her from the passenger side.

"Is anything wrong, Kristine?" Estel asked in careful Westron.

"Absolutely not." She flashed a brilliant smile. "Why would anything be wrong?"

Aragorn chose not to answer.

So they drove out onto the busy city streets. They had shopping to do, not only clothes and things for Tauriel and Estel, but Kris decided on Christmas shopping too. It didn't feel much like Christmas. But after all, why should she let _him_ ruin it for her? Any of them, really? Besides, it might make her feel better.

"Look, Tauriel…" Legolas murmured from the back. Kristy tried to ignore them, even as the massive steel and glass monuments filled the windows and blocked out the sky. Traffic moved in a single colorful body in the four-lane street, a mass of faces, fumes, and crisp morning air.

"The buildings are called skyscrapers. The moving beasts of steel, see them? They are just as we are, just a machine, nothing to fear. They are transportation, like a horseless carriage. That is all."

"Where are the trees?" she muttered in response, donning Kristy's coat and pressed against the window. Her auburn hair spilled in long twists down her back, tangling in the furry hood.

"There are few trees, sadly." He answered.

But then his fingers reached for her hand and she didn't pull away. Kris glanced back; she didn't respond at all, actually. She was busy staring out the windows with a fascinated, suspicious glare. "But there is beauty here, still." Legolas insisted. "It is not all bad."

Legolas switched to Sindarin and she couldn't understand them anymore. Kristy stared ahead into traffic.

"Amazing how polite he is, huh?" she muttered with a smile, pulling into a supermall's parking lot. It was filled to bursting, and she had to park almost a block away: Christmas Eve for you.

"Aragorn…?"

Estel looked into nowhere with dark, solemn eyes. He watched Kristy's hard, jerking movements as she drove and he didn't like it. There was some kind of falling out between those two, and they couldn't afford to have any divisions. Not now. Even after their make-up session last night…which he'd heard acutely.

He didn't answer.

"The least he could do is talk so we can all understand." She muttered.

"- Ah, look!" Legolas suddenly started up his commentary again, and he was back to Westron. "This world's version of a market. You remember them, don't you?"

Tauriel scrunched dark brows at him. "Of course I remember. It is just…certain things, I cannot seem to hold onto." she brushed him off and struggled with the seatbelt, frustrated. "I cannot seem to _grasp_ them."

"I know what it feels like."

Kris got out of the car, pretending not to listen.

"But you remember me?" Legolas pressed.

At that, Tauriel's grimace eased a little, and she smiled an almost imperceptible, amused smile. "I do not forget friends so easily as that, mellón nin."

Kristy slammed the door shut. Hard.

"And I have a theory about-"

Legolas blinked, glancing at the noise, before slowly turning back to Tauriel. He helped her manage the lock and the door-release, before stepping out into the brisk windy air. Snow was flying and fluttering in fat, crispy flakes.

"You are younger than I. Do you see? It's near impossible for these weak human bodies to comprehend what we have seen. It is simply too much for them."

Kris smiled sarcastically at his back. _Well, thanks so much for making that clear._ Aragorn walked closer, a dangerous, warning look in his gray eyes. She bit her tongue.

"You have less to remember, and so it is easier for you." he continued, oblivious. "Perhaps you will soon have all your memory back."

Tauriel nodded, stepping out onto the pavement with her green eyes sharp in the white light. "Perhaps so." She glanced warily from passerby to passerby, not missing a single curious look.

"Try to act normal, huh?" Kristy looked between them, sticking her hands in her pockets. "And don't do anything stupid," she almost turned away, but not quite. Kris glanced at Legolas. "Especially you."

And with that, she walked away.

The captain didn't like the look of the clothes she was given, Kris knew. She wore dark, tight jeans with her own boots. But Kristy just couldn't shake the feeling that she would still stand out. Maybe it was the fierce, silent glare in her eyes. Maybe it was the twisting locks of hair pulled tight from her face or her sharply cut jaw; she didn't know.

"Tauriel…" Kristy said in careful Westron, walking across the parking lot. She made sure to get the words right. An uncomfortable feeling tingled in her belly at addressing the woman directly, but it couldn't be helped. "Try to keep your eyes down, please."

She snapped her gaze to Kris, drawing to a halt. "What?"

"You know what I mean," Kristy glanced up, suddenly unsure. "Don't look people in the eyes. Keep your head down. Act _normal_."

Tauriel just stared at her in a frozen, steely way.

"I- " She looked from Legolas' dark, disapproving glance to her equally cold stare. Kris' pulse suddenly skipped. "You know what I mean. I just want you to normalize yourself."

"Normalize…" she repeated, slowly leaning back. "How do you mean?"

Kris let the wind buffet her hair back and forth. Layers frolicked in her face and she tried to think of a way to say 'Slouch. Mumble. Shuffle.' without saying it. But then, glancing at the fierce, green eyes of the captain, Kristy looked straight at Legolas instead.

"You know what I mean. _You_ explain to her."

With that, Kristy stalked off toward the glass doors.

Legolas stared after…before glancing to Aragorn. "What is wrong with her?"

Estel cast his eyes sidelong, looking between the silent eyes of Tauriel close to the prince's side…and then Legolas' dark, confused ones. Estel just shook his head and walked away.

He could be so oblivious sometimes.

In the shopping mall, it was amazing really, Kristy thought. Despite the fear, the chaos and terror, Christmas was Christmas. Shining wreathes lined the streets and garlands ran up downtown streetlights. The stores were filled in glitter, tinsel and holiday music. Little children dressed up as elves raced over the ground floor, and people were everywhere…faces, busy eyes and the smell of leather, rubber and plastic filled her senses.

"Manwe…"

Kristy heard Tauriel's quiet exclamation, and she staggered back into Legolas. Escalators rattled down from the upper floors and she stared, wide-eyed.

"Where do they all _go_?" she gasped.

Legolas walked past with hardly a second glance. "I know not. Perhaps a room beneath."

"But what room could hold so many stairs down there?" she gasped.

"They're on a track, genius." Kristy snapped. She immediately regretted her words though and glanced an apology. Aragorn's silent, flicking stare wasn't helping any. "They go round and round." She muttered quieter.

"Do not mind her." Legolas said in Sindarin. "There is something wrong with her."

Tauriel pressed her mouth closed tight. "I see that."

Of the group, Estel was the quietest.

The Dunedain's face was an emotionless mask, but Kristy didn't need that. She knew what he was thinking. He was planning a way to get back home; they didn't belong here. Legolas was too busy keeping Tauriel by his side, explaining every flashing light, bleep and song playing over the sound-system to notice.

Thankfully the mall was crowded beyond belief. No one heard his strange talking. Kristy couldn't seem to find what she was looking for, and they twisted and turned for what seemed like hours before finding what she needed. It was a women's clothing store, filled to bursting with racks, shelves, and models of clothing.

"So…" Kris said inside the store. "I know you have your weapons from Middle Earth. But you need other things, too: especially her."

Aragorn glanced at her.

"…Tauriel." she corrected with a smile. Kristy saw the woman and Legolas. Tauriel was in the threshold of the dressing room trying to figure out how it went _ding_ every time she passed through it. Legolas was just watching, amused.

"I don't want a fight going down right in the middle of Macy's though." Kristy looked up, grimacing. "What can I get her to let me buy?"

"I should think Tauriel knows the gravity of our situation." Estel replied, just as quiet. But there was a hint of a smile on his lips. He leaned down a little, replying very seriously. "I think the captain's biggest worry will not be what she is wearing."

Kristy blinked. And suddenly, she felt very small. Somehow, she was expecting the captain to protest about something like that. "Oh."

So that's where Kris found herself three hours later. Surprisingly, Tauriel did not have an apoplectic attack at the women's clothes, underwear models…nothing. She was looking forward to a reaction like Legolas' when he first arrived. But it didn't come. And it grated on Kristy's nerves even more.

Tauriel came out of the dressing room for the last time. The musical notes every time she stepped back and forth were irritating, too. Everything she did seemed to be the opposite of what Kris wanted, but she refused to say anything.

"Thank you, Kristine." The captain said once she did, sealing her coat up. Kristy glanced over, dropping clothes into shopping bags. "I appreciate your aide in this."

"You're welcome."

A few awkward moments passed. Kristy shuffled on her feet, pretending to fold clothes. And after it was passed, Tauriel spoke up again. It was the first time the captain actually addressed her…alone, at least.

"You lived alone before this, then?" She glanced at Kris with cool, calculating eyes.

It was how she looked at everything…sharp, focused, like she didn't miss a thing. It unnerved Kristy so much that she just glanced over, blinked and looked away again. "I did, before Legolas."

"He rescued you then, in a sense." A tiny smile pulled at her lips.

"Rescued?" Kris scoffed. _Was that really the word she used?_ "More like 'ruined'."

"Ah," she laughed again, a tiny chuckle in her throat. "I see. Why have you not married a man, then?"

Kris choked. "E-excuse me?"

Tauriel glanced over, as if it was just a simple, quiet statement like anything else. Having the captain talk at all was a shock in itself, enough to turn Kristy into a flushing, agitated idiot. Kristy dropped a pair of jeans and hurried to pick them up, stuffing them into the bag.

"I merely thought you meant 'ruined' by that you've experienced what it is like to live with someone. And you prefer it."

"Yeah, well…" Kris managed, almost a croak. "Not really what I meant."

"Were you not lonely before, then?"

It took a minute. Kristy stared at her hands, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand. But then, she lifted her chin, trying not to look at Tauriel as she said. "I find I prefer living alone. I don't have to deal with anyone else that way. I only needmyself; I only _want_ myself. And as soon as I _can_ again, I will. All I need is my dog. Simple."

Tauriel smiled.

Kris wanted to say something more, anything. She almost did, too.

She wanted to ask Tauriel why she came here in the first place, how she had the unabashed gall to ask such a thing, how she just _happened_ to be in Lorien when Legolas needed her… Or who the hell she was!

Legolas and Aragorn were deep in discussion across the store though, something obviously not meant for her ears. She didn't want to take the chance on Legolas hearing her. Kris couldn't handle that. And besides, the fiery-haired captain could probably break her in half.

It was a disturbing thought…

"What now?" Legolas suddenly came up from behind, startling her. "Lunch?"

Kristy almost laughed. It came out more of a snort.

Tauriel glanced his way. "It is not yet noon, if that time-telling device you showed me is right."

"So?" he replied brightly, taking the bag she stooped to pick up. "I am hungry…What of you?"

Aragorn appeared at his side, looking disturbed about something. Still, he just nodded. "I could eat."

"Fine." Kris shrugged, snatching the bag from Legolas' hand. No protest reached her ears. So she smiled. "Let me check this out while you go to the food court. Meet you there."

It was then that she instantly turned and disappeared in the racks of clothes. Legolas just stared after her, hands empty…and wondering why the smile she gave made him shiver. It was like she was angry with him. But she wasn't. She'd kissed him this morning. They'd practically adopted each other as _family_!What happened since then? Had he done something wrong?

"- Are we going?" Tauriel asked.

Legolas just stared at Kristy's disappearing form a moment longer. He felt hollow and dark…But he took a sharp breath and pushed it down. "Yes. Yes, of course. Follow me."

So that's where Legolas found himself half an hour later. Tauriel was picking disdainfully at the greasy, spicy food in front of her, eyeing every single passerby with equal suspicion. Estel was less picky. Of course he had to be. After all, the man was used to his _own_ cooking. The thought made Legolas appreciate his meal more: Aragorn's soup tended to taste like burnt rubber bands.

"So where is Kristy?" Legolas asked, glancing around. "She has taken too long. Should we find her?"

"No." Estel answered firmly, for probably the fifth time. "Do you want her upset with you…again?"

"But what if she-"

"No _._ "

Legolas sighed. "That woman is directionally challenged, in case you had not noticed by now, my friend. She couldn't find her way out of a closet."

"She'll find her way here." Estel insisted. "Just be patient."

And suddenly, as if on cue… Legolas glanced up. Coming down an escalator, shrouded in her hair and a blur of unfamiliar faces, Kristy stared at the steps as she sunk earthward, closer to their level of the court.

 _Finally._ He glanced away and back again. Legolas expected to greet her with a forced smile. He swallowed a bite of food and practiced it. She would sit down in the seat opposite, he decided. Because most likely the girl would want to sit close to him. He'd give her a more friendly smile, then. Perhaps she'd be -

And then… a shout broke out in the food court.

" _Kris_?"

Legolas looked up from his drink, glancing around for the source. A tall man got up out of a table. Legolas stared. He was tall, tall and broad. Music and clattering plates filled the mall food court, but Legolas knew what he heard... so did Kristy.

She glanced up.

" _Krissy_?" the man gaped at her, eyes wide.

Legolas blinked. _Krissy?_ Who was this man to call her that? And why did she smile like that?

"Roger?" her face broke out in a grin. And suddenly, the escalator wasn't moving fast enough. She pushed people aside and ran down, before leaping and her boots hit the floor. She staggered on her heels and Rog was already upon her.

Legolas sat bolt upright. He was hugging her!

"It's been I-I-I don't know _how_ long. What happened to you?! What on earth are you _doing_ here?"

Roger was incoherent. They were laughing; he could hear them. Legolas stared at the man's shirt. It was…straining _._ That man was filling the sleeves to bursting. He was twice the size of Kristy…and he was crushing her in his arms, whirling her in a violent circle. An insigniawas plastered across his muscled back and Legolas felt something simmer in his chest, a hot fume that he didn't understand.

Aragorn shifted around in his seat. Legolas' eyes were wide and steely.

"Legolas…?" he nudged the elf. "What is wrong with you?"

Legolas didn't answer. He just narrowed his eyes a fraction.

Estel turned in his seat, scanning the cafeteria. And he made the connection. "Ah…I see."

Kristy was a blur of blonde and brown, swept across the court to a table full of men. They all wore the same shirts though… Aragorn squinted, suddenly alert. Short sleeves, dark camouflage green, tags made out of metal dangled on their chests. Kristy was heading straight for them.

"I haven't seen you since you went overseas. Why are you back here? Why didn't you _tell_ me?"

"We were recalled for these-" Rog spluttered, "these _storms_ ; you know what I mean. God, I can't believe you're here!" he shook his head, hair cropped so short white skull showed on the sides. "I hope you're staying safe, Krissy. These things have been dangerous. Why are you still here?"

Kris laughed. "Yeah…I know. Tell me about it."

"Listen, these are my buddies." He said eagerly. "This is PFC Tyler, PFC First Class Jay-"

And Aragorn shifted, turning his face away.

"Legolas, those are soldiers." Aragorn muttered quietly. They had guns…the weapons like Kristine used, concealed under the table and tucked into their cargo pants. But they were, and it sent a spasm of nervousness through his belly. He shifted in his seat. "Legolas…I cannot speak her tongue. You can."

The elf was sitting ram-rod straight in his chair.

" _Legolas,_ " Aragorn insisted, making him snap his eyes up. He didn't say it, but his eyes did. _Get her away from them._

Legolas whipped his head from Aragorn's fierce gray eyes, to the five out-of-uniform soldiers, before getting up so fast his legs hit the table and his chair skid out.

"Gladly." He growled.

. . .

 **A/N: Thanks for reading, and reviewing if you have the time. :)) Have a wonderful weekend please!**


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Augh! Skipped the last update time! So sorry. And your _**explanation**_ is... I wrote a story for Teitho, which took most of my spare time. All week (and probably until Christmas) I'll be helping paint and refurbish a friend's apartment, which took the rest.

And in _**addition**_ to that, I have a cold. :( *looks around shamelessly for sympathy*…still mad at me?

REMdream: Ha ha! Jealousy's not so petty when the shoe's on the other foot, is it? Legolas has some problems, if you haven't noticed that by now, lol. He also has some issues with empathy. That's not all his fault though… Without their _**fea**_ to help him, he has a hard time telling what people are really feeling.

Guest: And worse, Legolas seems to believe it! Friend zone is bad enough, without getting 'brother' in there.

Me and Not You: Legolas definitely might experience some bi military men a little later, but for now, they have a bit more under the rug. ;)

Dreamer: I just love those Portuguese phrases! I'm such a sucker.

. . .

" _There's only one person who needs a glass of water oftener than a small child tucked in for the night, and that's a writer sitting down to write." -Mignon McLaughlin_

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

There was half a food court between Kris and Legolas.

Legolas shoved a chair aside, letting it skid across the floor. Kristy was under this 'Rogers' arm, wrapped around his waist and shaking hands with the tableful of marines. He was going to get her away from them.

And at the sound of his boot steps striding over, Kris looked up. "Hey, I-"

"Kristine." He interrupted, quiet and cool. His eyes were icy blue, like water freezing over.

Roger started in surprise at the newcomer, an arm still around her shoulders. Then he looked him up and down. Legolas lifted his chin in response, suddenly feeling acutely aware of his own leanness. The man wasn't any taller, but he was a solid mass of bulk muscle… And he had a gun concealed in his pants. Legolas was fully aware of it. He wished he had his knives.

Legolas smiled tersely. "Nothing is the matter." He replied, turning to the Marine. "Kristine simply regrets that she must leave your company so soon."

"Leave?" Rog glanced from Kristy's wide, shocked eyes to Legolas' icy blue ones, before half-laughing. "I don't see her leaving."

"Yeah, I don't see me leaving." She raised both eyebrows at him.

Legolas shot her a 'don't-mess-with-me-now' look, before angling his body to the Marine. "Kristine is with me." He said very calmly. "And she'd like to return to our table. Now."

Kris hissed a breath through her teeth, but didn't protest.

Roger did.

"Back off, pal." He glanced between the man and Kristy under his arm. She suddenly had an arm around his waist…a very comfortable arm. It made Legolas' nose flare and his eyes flashed.

"Kristine." He hissed, before saying in Westron. "What are you doing? These are _soldiers_."

"Don't you think I know that?" She snapped back in English. "What business is it of yours?"

"It's my business plenty!" he spluttered, inwardly cursing himself for answering so stupidly.

The air instantly charged with tension, like a thunderhead. And she mimicked Roger with an irritated glare. "Back off, pal. Rog is quite capable of defending himself."

He grinned at the compliment, before enveloping her in a side hug. "You're always so cute mad, Krissy."

She glanced down and smirked, letting him hug her.

Legolas almost gagged. Who was he to come in and do this? What was _wrong_ with the fool?

"Is this guy bothering you?" came a voice from behind Legolas, interrupting his furious train of thought. He turned, eyes cold, to find a heavy set, muscular body behind him. This one was a little shorter, but no less brawny.

Kristy glanced between them, chewing the inside of her mouth. "No." she relented. "Just being an arse…as usual."

Roger glanced around his friends, who were getting slowly up out of their seats. Out of the corner of his eye, Legolas caught Estel tensing, half-rising up out of his chair across the cafeteria. Tauriel was looking between them, confused and wary.

"Actually, we were just skipping here, Kris." Roger said, keeping eye contact with Legolas the whole time. And then, there was a half-amused smile at the obvious support his friends gave. "We're on leave until tomorrow, ten o'clock. Wanna come along?"

"I…" She wouldn't meet Legolas' eyes, but she sighed a little. "I'm sorry, Rog. I'd like to. But Le-…um, Luke is right. I should be getting back."

And Roger stiffened. "Luke?"

Kristy nodded.

Staring across the food court, Estel caught the shift in their stances. They edged away, fingered their knuckles into fists. "Luke…huh?" Rog glanced him up and down, as if looking for something.

"Luke Smith."

 _Careful, Legolas._ Aragorn stared at his friend, willing him to loosen his stance, unclench his fists.

"So… this guy's your boyfriend?" Roger pressed, still unwilling to let her out of his hold.

"What? No!" she protested. "I-I mean…no, he's not. Just a friend."

"Good." Roger smiled, "…then you can come check out the local clubs with us, right?"

"I _said_ ," Legolas snapped, "she is not leaving with you. Haven't I made that clear?"

"Oh sure, but she hasn't."

"She does as I say!"

Aragorn almost put his head in his hands. Legolas was biting. He was fearful and angry, yes…but oh so foolish. This couldn't end good.

"Oh?" Kristy gasped. "Oh _really_?" she glared openly. "Actually _I_ said I was leaving, Mr _._ Smith. But I think I've changed my mind!"

"You can't do that." Legolas insisted in Westron. He grimaced, " _Look_ at them, Kristine. They are soldiers. Why are they here? What are the chances of you meeting? Stay away from them, I tell you."

"What is he talking about?" One muttered.

"Portuguese." Kris explained, trying to keep her breathing down. "And he's talking nonsense. Honestly, I have no idea." She shifted back into Roger's chest, trying to avoid looking at Legolas' wide, fuming reaction. It wasn't working. Blood rushed to her face and she flushed.

Roger shared a look with another of the marines, before shifting back and taking her with him. "Come on. Let's go."

"Kristine." Legolas countered, "Come with me. Please."

She looked between them, unsteady at first…unsure. But one more look at Legolas' fierce, insistent expression, her eyes flashed. She stared at him defiantly.

"Kristy-"

Instantly, she accepted the hand Roger offered and let him pull her away.

"See you, pal."

"Kristine!" Legolas protested. And something sick hit his belly, a terrible feeling…warning, danger as they walked away. "Kristy, _please._ " He pleaded in Westron, willing her to listen to him just this once.

And she stopped, glanced back. Legolas widened his eyes, staring at her, the fluffy hood enveloping her tangles of hair, clinging jeans tucked into wedge-heeled boots. She couldn't leave. She wouldn't!

And then, to his relief and wounded pride, she broke away from Roger and walked back to him. The Marine blinked in surprise. Legolas shot him a smug look, before he lifted a hand in invitation, imagining her accepting it, leaving those men, letting him pull her back.

"Legolas?" She said as she strode toward him.

And then, he saw her eyes still flashed; her belligerent walk was a strut. Legolas realized it with a pit of horror in chest. Kris stopped just inches from his face, yanked something out of her pocket, and slapped it into his offered hand.

Legolas looked down in surprise.

"Money for a cab. Take care of Estel and precious Tauriel." She whispered. Kristy was about to turn away, and then…she paused and dropped her voice even more. "Oh, and in case you hadn't figured it out yet… you _can't_ tell me what to do."

With that, Kris spun on her heel, tossed her head and strode away.

Legolas was left gaping.

"Yay, Kris!" Roger hooted and slapped hands with another Marine. "Way to go!"

Kristy welcomed his praise with a grin, and ducked under his offered arm. She walked in step with him, enveloped in camouflage green, short-shaved hair, recreation combat-boots, and comradeship.

Half the food court was watching.

And slowly, from his seat, Estel glanced around. Legolas was still staring in stunned shock. Aragorn got out of his chair and carefully edged over. Beside him, Legolas gaping, there was something disturbing, and more than a little amusing at the expression.

"So…" Aragorn murmured dryly, watching Legolas clamp his mouth shut in a thin, tight line. "…that was nicely handled."

And he shot him a look of death. "Save it, Ranger."

Aragorn laughed even as a thread of worry snaked through his chest. But whether it was at Legolas' inane threat or Kristy's disappearing form, he wasn't sure.

. . . . . .

 _Tick…tock…tick…_

Waiting. Endless waiting. Fury.

 _Tock…tick…tock…_

They didn't need the clock this time. Legolas counted the seconds, the minutes, the hours. Why wasn't she here? Why didn't she come back?

 _Tick…tock…tick_

Kristy wasn't home yet. She wasn't anywhere! It was three o'clock in the morning! Legolas used the home phone to call her cell at midnight, and it buzzed uselessly in the corner of her rumpled bed. She forgot it: typical Kristy. He couldn't contact her. He couldn't find her.

And then, Aragorn spoke up from the couch. "She will not return any faster with you wearing a _track_ in the carpet."

Legolas ignored him.

She had no right to do this. It was maddening. _Infuriating_!

She was…she was family. She'd said it herself. That meant he had certain claims on her. That meant he was duty bound to protect her…even if it weren't _those_ menshe'd run off with. And Marines, it had to be Marines. Why weren't they casual friends, those small, pudgy ones he'd seen go into _Partha Lun_ , the shop she worked in?

Besides, hadn't they looked at him oddly? Hadn't they reacted minutely surprised at his very name, Luke Smith? Aragorn noticed it too; he said so. There was danger here. It was screaming in his gut, warning him to keep her away from them.

And suddenly, Legolas couldn't stand it anymore.

" _Why_ do you think they wanted her?" he demanded, spinning on his heel. He stared at the glow of Estel in the faint moonlight, and a dim lamp glowed in the kitchen. Everything else was dark, putridly and peacefully dark. It vacillated with his mood swings. "Do you think they'll hurt her?" he hissed.

Estel leaned on the armrest, legs folded under him in the plush leather. He nursed a packet of pipeweed in his fingers. The embers glowed, lighting the ranger's face, and he lifted keen gray eyes.

"Worrying helps nothing." He said simply, in that calm voice of his.

"You said they reacted strangely." Legolas insisted. His back was ram-rod straight, fidgeting with the loose white sleeves hanging from his wrists.

"Strangely," He agreed. "Yes."

"Dangerously?" Legolas pressed, and it only earned him a hard-earned sigh. Legolas turned away, frustrated and baffled. "Well, why did they _want_ her? What did they ask her out in the first place?"

And for the first time, Aragorn smiled a little. "Do not be obtuse, my friend! Why do you think?"

Legolas didn't answer.

So, the ranger did for him. "Kristine is a lively, interesting girl." He glanced at Legolas' expression, gauging it, hoping to alleviate it. The elf was staring blankly at the open bay window, thinking about it. "And her face is not what one would say… ugly, is it?"

Legolas almost snorted. But that was another rude habit he picked up here, and he refrained.

Estel removed the pipe from his teeth and felt a tiny laugh run down his spine, watching his friend. It _was_ late, true, and that disturbed him. But watching his calm, cool friend stress was something else entirely. In fact, it was hilarious.

"And her shape is not what most men would consider… _uncomely_ , is it?" Aragorn asked, suppressing a smile.

Legolas shot him a dark look, checked that Tauriel was safely in the bedroom with the door shut, out of earshot, and he shook his head. "No."

Legolas remembered what she looked like. Yes… And not only that, but the clothes she wore. Yes, that _could_ be it. Aragorn could be right. They were simple usually: jeans, a dark top, sometimes a purse slung across her breasts. But they were always so perfectly tight. Scandalous, he thought when first coming here. But now…

"No," he muttered again, reluctantly. "She's not unattractive."

"And do you have your answer?" Estel pressed.

Legolas didn't say anything.

"Well?"

Legolas spun around, distressed. "But Estel! Something was wrong. I _know_ there was. Tell me again. You felt it too!"

Aragorn sighed, emptying the ashes from his pipe in a dish. He wanted to deny his friend, tell him it was the elf's overactive imagination. But that would be a lie. Something did feel off with him. "I cannot deny that I felt…uncomfortable with them. But-"

"But nothing." Legolas nodded in satisfaction. "So it is settled! She will not see them, or that _Roger_ again."

Aragorn laughed outright. "You are mad!" At his blank, stupefied expression, Estel explained. "Did you learn nothing from that embarrassing, _useless_ exchange today? The harder you push her, demand, the more she'll fight. Don't you see? She'll see them all the more, no matter how hard you try."

"But…" Legolas looked away, trying to keep his breathing down. "But how will I stop her?"

"Certainly not thatway." Aragorn relit his pipe, puffing it a few times.

And Legolas shifted on his feet. "Yes… she is stubborn."

"Stubborn? Yes." Estel agreed, and he wondered if he should mention the other word that came to mind. But he refrained. Whatever there was between him and Kristine, it should stay that way. He shouldn't interfere… Probably.

And then, standing uncomfortably in silence, Legolas snapped his chin up. Before Estel could ask, the elf bolted upright and pressed himself to the window glass. He looked far down to the street, and his eyes flashed. "They are back!" he hissed, fogging the glass. And he dove for the door.

"Legolas-"

Legolas slammed the door shut behind him and bolted for the stairs, skidding around on the carpet. Then, he pressed himself to the wall, panting, waiting. He'd wait for them to come up, listen to what they had to say…and then thrash Roger within an inch of his life. Yes, the thought was satisfying.

Three o'clock in the morning! The man had no right!

A few agonizingly tense minutes went by, Legolas standing on the stairwell that twisted round and round for twenty-five flights. It went up another three floors, and Legolas stood behind these, waiting for the elevator to arrive. The dial lit up, showing the lift coming up the fifth…twelfth…twentieth and-

… _And voices._

Legolas' breath hitched. It was Kristy.

"- and I do _not_ think stairs have a place in modern society." She was saying as the lift doors opened. " _M-much_ too tiring."

"Course not." Roger was agreeing.

Legolas scowled, about to step out. But he hesitated, wanting to listen.

"And elevators must work at _all_ times, and be s-swifty, too." She continued

 _My God, she's drunk_! He thought in horror.

Legolas leaned over slightly, glancing around the wall. Roger was alone with her, supporting her as she walked unsteadily down the carpeted hall, dragging her coat on the floor. And suddenly, she staggered on a heel and nearly fell over, if not for Roger catching her. He broke out in hoarse laughter.

"Ah, Krissy…better be careful. The floor has it out for you tonight! This is the third time tonight."

Kristy righted herself, swaying a little, and then pointed at the carpet. "Bad floor."

Roger laughed again, and Legolas glowered. This was infuriating.

"Ssh!" she hissed, "He'll _hear_ you."

"Who's 'he'?" Roger asked. Legolas couldn't' be sure, but it seemed Roger slowed a little, as they neared the apartment door.

"Dude you met today…that 'he'. He's scary when he's mad, you know."

Roger nodded conspiringly. "You wouldn't want to tell me more about this…friend, would you?"

Kristy apparently thought about it. "Nah. He's boring." She looked up woefully. "And mean."

Legolas frowned.

" _Mean_?" Roger feigned horror, coming to a stop outside her door, and he steadied the woman against the wall. Legolas watched them around the haze of a wall too close to his eyes. The man grinned and exaggerated his movements, swaying uneasily but…but he wasn't intoxicated.

Legolas could tell it, scrutinizing his every move. The Marine's eyes were focused, not like Kristy's. He put his hands on the wall beside her, effectively pinning her there, and it wasn't the move of a sloppy, drunken man.

"Why are you friends with a mean man?" he whispered close to her face.

Kristy glanced down, lifting an unsteady hand to finger his chest. The hall lights were dim, set for night time, and he caught a blush biting at her cheeks. But she was uncomfortable; Legolas could tell that. Kristy was only perfectly still when she was afraid to move.

"B-because I -" she bit down on the inside of her mouth. It drew her lower lip in, and it was a sign she was upset. "I don't know."

"Is he…from around here?" Rog asked quietly, fingering Kris' bare shoulder with a dark, calloused finger.

Legolas wanted to slap it off. And he wanted to do it now. But he didn't. _Why did the man ask this?_ Why wasn't he making a move toward Kristy, so Legolas could stalk down the hall and rescue her from him?

And a thought struck him. Maybe she didn't want to be rescued.

"He's um…" Kristy tried to think. She tried hard, but she ended up mumbling. "I don't know. I think he's from o-overseas, maybe."

"But sometimes it feels a lot farther than that, doesn't it?" Rog murmured sympathetically.

Kristy nodded.

The marine edged closer, very quietly, and he pushed his hips forward. The man had her against the wall, and as he touched her, traced her collarbone with his fingers…tilted her chin back.

 _Sweet Eru…_ he's going to kiss her!

Legolas chose to make his entrance. He carefully slipped across the hall so it looked like he was coming up instead of down the stairs. Then, he made a show of stomping heavily up the last carpeted step so they heard him coming. Then, when he was striding down the hall, Kristy looked up with utter shock.

"Le-…Luke!"

"Kristine." He murmured cordially in response. Legolas noticed there were several inches between the two of them now. _Good._ For Roger, he offered a narrowed-eyed stare. "Having fun, are we?"

Roger raised an eyebrow, shifting in his boots, but removed his hand from the wall so Kris could breathe. "Until a moment ago…"

"Well fun is over."

"Luke!" Kris gasped, eyes blazing.

"Be quiet, Kristine." He commanded, and she obediently snapped her mouth shut. "Get out of here, Roger." He then said, walking forward so close that his body stood between his and Kristy's.

"I must say…I believe we wanted some privacy, friend." He glanced Legolas up and down. But there was fear in his eyes, very deep down…or wariness. Legolas couldn't tell without a _fea_ to go by, but it didn't matter. Legolas used it.

"If you want even one bone in your body unbroken by tomorrow morning…I suggestyou leave now."

"Legolas!" she protested, and it was ignored.

Roger focused somewhere under Legolas' eyes, broad shoulders shrugged into a short, camouflage coat, and he asked quietly. "Is that a threat?"

The elf tilted his head. "If that is how you see it."

And suddenly, Kristy smacked Legolas' back, trying to shove him aside. "Leave him alone!" But with a sweep of his arm, he held her back and pushed her gently to the wall, pinning her there. In her inebriated state, she couldn't even complain.

"It is time Kristine went to bed." He said firmly. " _Alone_."

And Roger stepped closer, pressing his lips together. It surprised Legolas; he thought he'd back down. "Just what do you want, anyway?" Roger demanded, but he edged back again at the fierce gleam in Legolas' eyes. "It's three o'clock in the morning. What the hell are you doing here?"

"He lives here!" Kristy spoke up, very unhelpfully.

Roger's eyes widened.

"In the building…with a friend." Legolas corrected quickly. "And I have this strange desire to keep scum like you from injuring, wounding, or otherwise taking advantage of _intoxicated_ neighbors of mine." And he pointed at him. "So leave."

Roger jolted back, one boot behind the other. "I…I'll see you, Kris." He waved briefly. "Get some sleep. Your crazy boyfriend's right about that, at least."

And with that, he was marching away down the hall toward the elevator. Legolas waited until the lift doors closed, rigid and strung tight as a bowstring…before sighing in relief.

 _At least that was over._

He'd fought _so_ hard not to grab the marine's coat and shake him! But that wouldn't help anything. He realized that now. It would just draw even more attention to himself, and start a fight. Estel wouldn't be pleased, and in the end, neither would he.

And then…a voice whispered venomously. "You…"

Legolas froze. Oh no _._

"You egotistical, narcissistic, self-important, bossy _bastard_!" she spat.

Legolas whirled around, taking a sharp breath through his teeth.

"How dareyou!" she spluttered in fury.

"I just saved you." he protested.

" _Saved_ me? From who, Roger? I wanna be s-saved from you, you creep!"

And suddenly, Kristy didn't look so drunk anymore. Anger lit the fuse and it was burning the alcohol away. She stormed forward, aiming to hit him…hard, but Legolas stepped back and she face-planted.

Legolas blinked in surprise. She pushed up, rubbing her hurting elbows, and her nose was bleeding. "Argh…" she held her face, whimpering at the blood seeping into her hand.

"Good God, Kristy…" Legolas grimaced and got down on his knees. "Why do you do this to yourself?"

" _M-me_?" she choked, sputtering. " _You_ did it, y-you dirty bastard. Y-you -"

"Stop calling me that, you dirty mouthed little girl." Legolas hauled her to her feet, and she immediately tipped backward. He barely managed to catch her, and then in the dim haul light, his back up against a wall…Legolas pulled her closer.

"Come here, Kristy."

"L-let me go…" she mumbled, using his body to support herself, his hands grabbing her waist. And Kristy pushed on his chest, keeping her upper body from his. "Let me go!"

"If I do," he warned. "you'll fall again."

"I don't care!"

Legolas sighed, staring down at her, before letting go with a snap.

And she promptly fell on her derriere.

"See?"

Kristy lifted her head sourly, glowering at him. "You pushed me."

. . . . . .

Legolas looked out over the city an hour later, slowly rubbing his thumbs together…back…forth, back…

"I failed." Legolas murmured softly, staring at his hands. "I thought I could…stop her, convince her."

At his side, Aragorn stood like a shadow in the night, just as quiet.

"I was wrong." He said even softer. "I thought she cared for what Ithought, that she listenedto me. I thought we were passed this."

A little while went by. Estel leaned on the balcony rail, sheltered under the eaves. The city noises were far away, distant and subdued. The curfew ended at five o'clock, and it was not yet four-thirty. It made the city so much quieter than usual, almost peaceful…

And finally, looking out at the windy rooftops, breathing in the cold air, he replied. "She's not thinking clearly, Legolas."

"Well her response was very clear." He glanced over. "'Stay out of my personal life, bastard', I believe she said."

"I doubt she meant it."

Legolas scoffed, turning back to the cityscape a little more darkly.

"She was intoxicated, you know."

Legolas nodded a little. "Another thing!" he half-laughed, pointing through the sliding balcony doors to where he knew Kristy was sound asleep. "I have seen that woman inebriated but _once_ in my stay here. She doesn't drink _._ Yet one night with that man, and she can barely stand up."

Aragorn nodded a little. "I know."

"So what can I do about it?" Legolas grabbed the rail, beginning to pace again, up and down the small terrace. "She won't listen to what I say."

"True."

"She wants to, for some reason _unfathomable_ to me, keep company with those men."

"True."

And Legolas paused, glancing back. He'd told Estel of what the Marine had asked her, inquired about him…what she answered him with. It disturbed the Ranger as much as him, and it was no question now that she should steer clear.

"So…perhaps _you_ should talk to her?" Legolas edged carefully.

Estel laughed. "She'd listen to me even less than you, my friend." He shook his head, creasing his brows. "No, this must be dealt with carefully."

"By whom?"

"By you."

Legolas scowled and turned away. "I do not know how."

… And a few minutes passed, in which they felt the temperature drop a little. Legolas shrugged on a coat, before sliding down in the white wicker bench outside. He could still see the tops of the buildings as they glowed in the cold night. But it was a cold beauty. They blocked out the stars, transformed them into glowing dust straining for air to breathe.

"I must stop her." Legolas said quietly, resolutely. Somewhere in a place deep down, he knew it. "I will."

Estel turned slightly, resting a shoulder on the post. "She does care for you, you know."

"She does us all…even Tauriel." He muttered back.

Aragorn shifted, frowning. "That is not what I mean, and you know it."

Nothing.

"Legolas…"

Still nothing. The elf's jaw just tightened a little.

And suddenly, the Ranger couldn't stand this anymore. He took a deep, cold breath and turned his head, looking sharply at his friend. "Legolas, are you blind? She _cares_ for you, I tell you."

Legolas snapped his chin up and warned. "Estel-"

"Do not bother denying it!" he held up a hand, cutting his friend off. "You know it. I know it," and he dropped his voice. "The reason she is philandering with these…Marines, is because she desires _you._ And she cannot have you; she knows that."

And there. He'd said it.

Estel glanced down, slowing his heartrate down. It was difficult, and perhaps not the best solution, but it had to be said.

Legolas was staring at him, gaping in utter shock. His mouth was open slightly, eyes wide. "Aragorn, I…" he stopped, unable to force the words out. "No!"

"You are deluding yourself, Legolas." Estel said quieter, looking down, staring at the distant shape of an army truck passing on the street, twenty-five flights down. "You know it is true."

And Legolas let his eyes sink, staring into nowhere. _Was he right?_ Was he really, truly right? He didn't know.

Legolas scavenged through every memory he had, every touch, every look, every rush of blood in Kristy's face. The fights, the tension, yes…the anger, the nights they talked and touched and how much it comforted him. And then, it all shifted together.

Estel held his arms, staring at the elf from the edge of his eyes. "And quite possibly not just your heart, my friend."

Legolas blinked.

And then he leaned back, still silent…but mulling. He didn't know why, but an almost inexorable smile tugged at his mouth. The insufferable little girl... _woman,_ he corrected. After all this time, three months of living with him, she goes and does this?

Somehow, it was a disturbing thought that Kristine could…desire. Legolas thought about it fiercely. She seemed so unaware. _Was he right?_ Did she want him? The woman didn't even _look_ at him more than in passing, studied no more of him than his face…and his hair. Legolas noticed and he thought it was the way she was, or he was simply uninteresting.

"I don't want to do it." Legolas mumbled finally, his train of thoughts shifting. Whether or not Aragorn was stating a simple fact, or not…he knew what he was going to do. "I don't _want_ to do it to her."

Estel didn't reply.

"She will hate me for this." he said anyway, not a guess, but a fact. She would; he knew it. When she discovered his plan, as she surely would eventually, she would hate him bitterly.

Still, Aragorn didn't answer.

"But as long as she walks this path, we are all in danger." Legolas said quietly, resolutely. "She has to be…distracted from them. We cannot let them pry into our matters, or discover we are here. It-it is for the best."

Legolas looked up. " _Isn't_ it?"

Still, Estel didn't answer. He just closed his eyes, resting his head wearily in one hand.

The elf looked down, setting his jaw hard. This was going to happen.

. . . . . . .

 **A/N: And… that's all! Half the next chapter is already written, though. Thanks for reading and as always, reviewing (if you don't hate me for making you wait all this time, that is!) Remember the cold. *cough cough* -_- *cough***


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Hello! Christmas is almost here. Yay! And this update is actually on time, finally.

Thank you for your reviews BlackStarsLight, snoopyontop, Me and Not You, Mii3.1415926, RevedeMorte, A.D. Reese, guest, Scylla's revenge, ana, Trich, WickedGreene13, Niceguys, i-am-naeblis, Raider-K, Aearvir, shophiescastle, melodicechoes, . .ra, WinnieFawn, Araloth the Random, , Andy the willow tree, REMdream, Guest, dreamer, Jshaw0624, Guest, LadyPorpoise, Ninde, Andy the willow tree, TreehouseCity, Iduna, SparkyTAS, CalistaLegaci, Woman of Letters, dreamer, Woman of Letters, Amateur Bacon Cook, WyomingCowboy15, and middleagemanager!

Also, thank you for all your best wishes. My cold is now beaten... Also! Just so you know, I finally cracked and made an Instagram account. The cyber world has worn me down *shudders* It's under Arasa171, and I might start posting art for this story there. I'll let you know if I do! :))

Dreamer: Haha, yes…but I don't think either of them are truly in control of things now.

REMdream: He doesn't _**want**_ to break her heart, he just can't see an alternative. He's not thinking clearly, in case that wasn't obvious. He's a little turned around right now. :(

. . . . .

" _What day is it?"_

" _It's today," squeaked Piglet._

" _My favorite day!" said Pooh._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

"Okay, thanks!"

A tiny, dark-haired woman pulled the door shut with a bang, bag in hand. "Bye-bye!"

She watched her go with a plastered smile on her face. And the instant she was gone…Kristy dropped, cradling her head in her hands. It felt like someone pounded on her skull from all sides. No one should have to work Christmas Day! But Corby lost a lot of business through all this. Business was money. Money was the lifeblood of, well, everything. She had masses of work to do too, hangover or not. Paperwork. And it was better done here than at home, with _him_.

Still, not too many people were out shopping. Maybe the army trucks trundling by had something to do with it, or maybe the hordes of citizens blocking up the roadways, trying to get out of the city. Shopping wasn't on their minds, and Christmas wasn't either.

Yet the ebbing stream of passersby didn't ease up. A dull hum of traffic outside buzzed back and forth; noon passed to early eve. She was tired, exhausted even. Police cars screamed past outside and they set her nerves on edge, more than one 'lawman' having passed by 'on the beat.' Personally, she didn't see how they could possibly find the poor lost souls from the portals like that, not if they could blend in as well as Legolas.

The thought made her frown. Legolas: arrogant, bull-headed elf.

Thinking about him never did good. She couldn't stand it. And so…she wearily eyed the order-forms on the counter. Impossible. They made her think too much. It was the last thing she needed. So Kristy was crouched on her heels behind the counter, polishing glass when they came in.

"Hey, Kris!"

A short, plump woman barreled through the doorway, followed closely by a friend in bright pink.

"I said hey! _"_

"Alice." She said flatly, not a hint of exasperation in her voice. Kristy peered at her through the glass. "What are you doing here? Your shift isn't until tomorrow, you know."

"Yeah but Kris, listen…I forgot my bag again."

"Is that it?"

Alice gasped, hand on her ample chest. "Aren't you glad to _see_ me?" She strutted past, feigning hurt. Her friend waited on the doorframe, and the sound of laughter echoed from the back room. "Cause I'm sure not glad to see _this_ place."

"Alice, it's barely three." Kris resisted the urge to sigh. Alice staggered through the back, fumbling for her purse. "Don't you take the three o'clock rule seriously?"

She laughed again, and Kris winced. Aspirin. Where was aspirin when you needed it?

"Today is a day to celebrate _,_ Kristy."

"Why?" she stopped the sigh before it could morph into a groan. "You mean because it's Christmas?"

Alice scoffed. She was a few years older, but quite a bit shorter under brunette, bobbing curls. "Haven't you heard?" she came out, toting the bag.

"Heard what?"

"Corby!" Alice threw her purse up, as if it was obvious. "Hasn't he come in yet? He's going to go stay with his _sister_ for a whole…" She leaned close. "…blessed, _week_."

And she blinked. "Why?"

Alice just shrugged. "The woo-woo storms round here have got the old toad pretty shook up. His house was up there, where they first hit you know. So now he's out crying on his sister's doorstep."

 _Sister._ Did that mean he was leaving?

"Hm," she ran fingers through her hair, hesitating a moment. "I guess I didn't see that coming. What's he doing with the store?"

She shrugged again. "Don't know; he didn't tell me." She pulled the burly coat around her neck and got to the door, still upright, but slurring dramatically. "I guess he just doesn't care to consultwith the _part_ time help."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Pooh!"

And with that, Kris pointed at her. "You shouldn't be driving."

"She's not!" The friend in pink said, Debbie, tossing a stray lock of hair from her eyes. "Iam."

Kristy stared at her, before smiling half-heartedly. Figures _._

And with a wave, they were leaving out the door. Her smile shriveled to nothing, watching them bundle into the car. Kris went back to polishing. She sprayed the glass and moved the rag in circular motions, round and round…but more slowly. _Leaving._

Did this mean she was out of work? Would he let her run the store instead?

Kris almost scoffed. With Corby's new girlfriend taking up so much of his time, she nearly did anyway. She wasn't sure how long she mulled it over, tossed it back and forth in her head. But before she knew it…the chime rang and the door opened. _Dammit._ Kris scrubbed harder.

"Be there in a sec!" Kris said with a grimace. Why did she have to drink so much last night? Why did her head _hurt_ so much?

And then…something happened.

A face, familiar and clear peered at her through the glass. Kristy stared, frozen. Something, something she couldn't name made her heart drop. It was Legolas.

"Legs I," she blinked, utterly stunned, before forcing her eyes to narrow. Her voice became very cool. "I mean, Legolas."

He stared at her with silent, blue-gray and smiling eyes.

"What are you doing here?" she asked anyway. Home was two miles away. "How did you get here?"

His eyes flickered down and up, as if to blink. But he didn't. "I walked." He said simply, muffled by the glass.

"Oh." She blinked. "Well, what do you want?"

And then, she slowly got to her feet. Legolas rose with her until they stood on opposite sides of the counter, facing each other. Kristy suddenly felt frustrated again. She looked over him as quick as she could, but her eyes wanted to linger. Legolas was wearing a dark jacket, pea coat more like, with his hands stuck deep in his pockets. Tousled hair, pale blonde and gleaming in the dusky light, soft, worn jeans hung off his hips in a-she glanced down-strangely casual… appealing way.

"Is something wrong?" she managed to force out. Her voice sounded like a stray squeak.

And he smiled lazily. "No...nothing. Just wanted to visit you."

 _Such a dramatic change from last night._ Kris didn't know what to make of it. She didn't even know if she should still be angry. _What happened last night?_ Why is he so relaxed, so easy now, nonchalant and…and almost, sexy?

Kristy looked away furiously, gripping the glass case in her hands so her knuckles turned white. Stupid thoughts. Stupid. "If there is nothing you want then, Mr. Luke Smith," she used the name on the hospital entry like a weapon. "I have work to do."

"Work. Hm. Anything I can help you with?"

Kris frowned. "Not unless you know how to fill out a stack of order forms as high as you are."

And he smiled again, showing a row of gleaming white teeth. "Lead the way."

"I'm not letting you help, Mr _._ Smith."

 _Temper._ Legolas reminded himself; she was just being difficult. He could handle this. "Than what time is your work finished?" he said in a voice like deep honey. "Four-thirty…like normal?"

"What business is it of yours?" she snapped.

"I would like very much to walk with you." he murmured very innocently.

And Kris narrowed her eyes. Why did he have to be like this? Why did he have to be so insufferable and- and so _irresistible_? But he wasn't. She could resist him, and she would _._ It would just take some effort.

"If you have something to say…spit it out. If not, I've had quite enough of you."

Legolas tilted an eyebrow, silently wondering if she had. Or was Aragorn right? Did she find him…appealing? Did this girl actually, in some remote way, desire him? Had she developed feelings for him?

Legolas scanned his eyes slowly down Kristy's flushed face, let her see…and very appreciably let his eyes linger on her panting chest. The long sleeved, simple black shirt was elastic and smooth. She became aware of how it clung, how her frustration heated her body and made her flush. Legolas saw it all pass through her face, and he marveled. He marveled at how she could slump so fast, set her jaw to keep her chin from trembling. Defiance. As if she could hide herself from him in such an outfit, keep his eyes from looking at her. She was furious…furious and embarrassed.

Almost without thinking about it, Legolas smiled. How'd he gotten to know this woman so impossibly well? Without her feato guide him, even? It was remarkable.

And now with his cutest, most tantalizing smile-the one they told him was irresistible—he said brightly. "But I will wait for you! And then, when the twenty minutes are up, you will walk with me."

Kris straightened. "What? Where?"

"To the park, of course, to see the lights in the trees."

She smiled sarcastically…or was it relieved? He couldn't quite tell. Kristy told him it was one of the things she loved most about Christmas. The lights running through the trees, the hedges, lighting the pools in the park: she said she wanted to see them. But that was before…before all this.

"Well _so_ sorry, I just can't go walking today." she threw her hands up flippantly in a useless gesture. "See, Roger is picking me up at six for dinner and giving me a tour of his barracks."

And the world stopped. Legolas blinked.

"Rog-…of his what?"

Kristy leaned closer. She said very sweetly. "Where he lives, where he and his men _sleep_?It's a barracks, and he's gotten special permission to show it to me."

"But…" he spluttered, "But you can't!"

"Oh, I can." She smiled. "And I am."

"I will not allow it!"

Kris slammed the cleaning rag down. "You don't own me, Legolas. When are you going to get it? In fact," she spluttered, looking around. "you have nothingover me. Nothing at all!"

Legolas was so angry he almost snapped. He almost reached across the counter, grabbed her by her sleeves, and shook some sense into her. But he didn't…not quite.

Instead, Legolas eased back on his heels. He carefully slipped his hands between the flaps of his coat, and stuck them in his jeans pockets. Then, he dropped his eyes a little. "Alright, Kristy."

She blinked, breaths slowing and shaking. She was expecting him to protest. She thought his eyes would flare and like when he was angry, he'd lean closer, fuming. She thought she could throw this delicious defiance in his face and walk away.

But she couldn't. This reaction surprised her.

"I see. And I see why you wish to do it." Legolas fingered his belt loops, looking into nowhere. And knowing Kris was watching intently, confused, he relaxed so his back swayed and his hips rested forward. He glanced at her once, let his eyes linger on her. They were deep and stormy blue, roiling and twisting into dark…misery, shame, sorrow. Beautiful.

Kristy stared.

"I am sorry for disturbing your work." He whispered, let her see the agony hiding just under his eyes one last time…and turned slowly to the door.

"Legolas!" she said before she could stop.

And the elf paused, waiting. His heart skipped as he gazed intently at the door. _Don't move._ Move now, and you will lose.

"Legs, I…I'm sorry." She said. And he glanced back, a brief flare of something in his eyes…hope, or satisfaction. She didn't know. But it made the next words spill out faster. "But I'm not disappointing Roger."

Legolas stayed absolutely still. From his gaze, Legolas' heart fell. "I see." He lifted crystal blue eyes and peered at her.

Oh…he wasn't doing this. Was he really, actually doing this to her? She couldn't believe it. How could those big azure eyes be so sorrowful, so exquisite?

 _Dammit._ Kristy, get it together! She mentally shook her head, forcing the thought away. Precious Tauriel probably thought the same thing! She probably told him so in that lilting, fluent Sindarin every night.

And she hit the tabletop. "Dammit Legolas!" she hissed. "I said I'd go, and I'm _going._ "

Legolas didn't utter a word. He just looked.

"I'm not going be talked out of it!"

And he smiled faintly. "I see." He murmured. "I do understand that you'd not wish to spend Christmas with us." Legolas said. He fingered the edge of the doorway, chewing the inside of his lip. She'd never seen him do that…not awake. It made her look at his mouth. She didn't want to, but she did.

"You don't understand anything." She said like she meant it, a half-hearted whisper.

"Then tell me. Explain what I don't see."

Kristy looked down, desperately working her thoughts, looking for something to say…think, do.

"I know that I have…overstepped some boundaries, recently." He said anyway, making her glance up again. "And I know you must wish to spend your holiday with loved ones. I understand that you don't want to decorate with us, or celebrate with us _._ You don't," he looked down, scrunching his brows in a distraught, anxious frown. "You don't want to be there because of what we are."

"What are you?"

"We are your burden." He said very quietly.

And she couldn't take it anymore. "Oh _Legolas,_ " Kris bit out. "It's not that!"

She shoved off the counter in frustration and he looked up. She strode up to him, intending to tell the elf _precisely_ what she thought of him and his guilt-tripping tactics… And Legolas stepped closer, matching the movement. Kristy froze.

"Then what is it, Kristine?" he rolled the name off his tongue like a caress. He saw what it did to her. She went breathless, flicking her eyes over the shaggy hair tousled over his forehead. It was so wild. So erratic.

"I-I…" she swallowed a visible lump in her throat. Legolas leaned closer, let fierceness into his eyes.

"I-I?" he echoed, glancing over her face, letting his eyes linger on her parted lips. "I what, Kristine?"

"You don't get it, Legolas."

"What don't I get?"

And slowly, she recovered herself. She inwardly steeled herself, and said very breathily, very resolutely. "I happen to like Roger; he happens to like me. That's what. In fact, he says I'm the most beautiful and _interesting_ woman he's ever met. Does that tell you anything at all, Mr _._ Smith?"

Legolas' face flinched into a smile. And he lifted a single finger, touched her chin. It made her wince. "It says that he's not blind, my Kristy."

 _Oh, that did it._

She was blushing so madly, so furious, she smacked his hand off and stepped away. "I'm going with Roger tonight, Legolas. You can decorate yourself _._ You can do whatever the hell you want. Have fun." Then she smiled icily. "And to quote a wise man: frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."

He smiled a little. "Yes." Legolas drew back, rubbing his hand. And as it crept up on him, he found he was highly amused. "I will try."

It was all he said, but as Legolas watched her go in a whirl of Kristy fury, a smirk tugged at his mouth. She was so angry, so embarrassed. It was electrifying, watching what he could do to her.

. . . . .

It was a few hours later.

"I don't cook." Tauriel was saying, "I never did. I never will."

Jingle bells flitted through the kitchen from the stereo in the other room. She didn't know the English words, but it was a cheerful melody. She shoved the burned pie away and grabbed a knife; she just couldn't manage her own hands! This body felt different. And cooking was hard enough at the best of times! Humans were clumsy. Humans were inept and they couldn't keep track of things.

"Well what are we going to eat then?" Legolas gestured uselessly to a half-empty box of cold cereal. Damn that Kristy. Any other night _she'd_ be doing this. " _That_?"

He was hungry. Starving, actually.

Tauriel and he were struggling for a proper meal. Estel kept Shenzie, that worthless dog out on the balcony. The ranger was too busy to concern himself with things like the biggest Earth holiday though, and its dinner. He was mapping the stars, trying to decipher the next time the portals might be opened.

Legolas explained again and again that it was random, and completely unpredictable. Kris explained some of the aspects of solar energy to him. It was charged in the atmosphere from the passing of the comet, and the storms were becoming more unstable. Legolas told him this and he didn't listen. Knowing the ranger, he was probably right.

Either way, food was priority one right now.

"No, chop them smaller." Legolas instructed, coming over as Tauriel struggled with the simple act of dicing vegetables. She was more used to the sword and slaughtering _yrch_ then carrots and a kitchen knife.

"Since when have youlearned about the culinary arts, Prince Legolas?" she snapped in a rare display of frustration.

"Since I lived three months in a steel complex with no one to feed me but a woman who _works_ eight hours a day. Here," he reached out, "let me-" and he winced. "Ah!"

"I am sorry!" Tauriel hissed, instantly drawing her hand back.

"It…is alright." Legolas said, clutching his bloodied palm in shock.

"Are you sure?"

Tauriel creased her brows, pinched her lips uncomfortably. Legolas recoiled a little. She'd cut him and…. and it _hurt_. And then, she carried on the fight with the vegetables with a vengeance.

"Wise notto reach for a kitchen knife in use, I take it?" she snarled, shoving the plate clean and into a bowl.

"Yes." Legolas agreed, taken aback.

He squeezed his palm tightly, trying to stop up the flow some. And she threw him another glance. "It is not serious, surely?"

Legolas shook his head a little, a brisk 'no'.

"Does it hurt?" she pressed.

"No." Legolas lied.

And that was that.

He turned away, feeling a little offended... and if he were honest, neglected. It was discomforting, but he knew why, too. He was so used to shooing away an agonizing Kristy. If she'd sliced his hand like that, she would have a bandage, salve, and painkiller on his hand before he could say a futile word. It was strangely…unsettling.

"I am fine. I'll just go bind it." he muttered.

Tauriel nodded.

So when the elf went out into the living room, glancing back disgruntled, he found Estel inside again. Shenzie had frost under her gold chin, clinging to her mouth and panting lavishly. She watched with big dark eyes as Estel got down on his knees. The sight almost made Legolas smile. Estel rutted through the cold boxes like a homeless man in the trash…Christmas decorations.

"What are you doing?" Legolas half laughed, forgetting the twinges in his hand.

"Strange holiday, this Christmas." Aragorn commented, before holding up a sprig of something tied up in a red ribbon. "What is this?"

Legolas got a rag from the bathroom. "That's mistletoe." he explained. "Kristine says it's a sign of peace. It's also a custom for anyone caught beneath it…to kiss."

Estel scoffed, sitting back on his heels. "What kind of a custom is that?"

Legolas shrugged.

So he tossed the plant aside, before rutting deeper in the box, maybe looking for something useful. "Queer."

"Indeed." Legolas sat on his legs beside. He slid his hands under his knees and rocked back and forth, letting the pressure stop up the blood flow. After a minute, a teasing smile pulled at his lips. "…Unless the fair _Evenstar_ were here, of course. It might not seem so queer then."

Aragorn shot a look. "I would not wish for anything that Arwen be marooned in this Eru-forsaken place."

Legolas was about to chuckle, but the thought sank in and the urge faded. "No, you are right."

It was miserable enough that they were here, much less Aragorn's love. Legolas leaned back on the cold wall, shrugging to warm himself. Barely any heat in this place. The walls were chilly to the touch. On cold nights, Kristy used to keep him warm. He started sorting lights for something to do, and he wondered if those days were gone for good. Maybe they should be gone.

Legolas was still mulling over it when the doorbell rang, _snap_ ding.

Shenzie jumped off the floor and started barking like mad, bouncing on her front legs. Aragorn's head shot up.

"The door?"

"I'll get it." Legolas nodded. The elf pushed off the floor to answer it. In the same instant, Tauriel and Aragorn got out of sight, using Shenzie's insistent noise to cover it.

Legolas looked over his shoulder and when he was sure they were gone…Legolas carefully unlatched the bolt. Anyone could be out there: soldiers, police, worse…the landlady.

So he hesitated, before carefully cracking the door open and -

"Kristy!" Legolas said in surprise.

And it was.

Legolas blinked. She stood outside in black, strappy heels, shifting obviously uncomfortably. His eyes flew up and down her bare legs, the jumbled strands of hair rippling past her shoulders. She was supposed to be gone for hours yet!

"Kristy. What a surprise." He repeated more subdued, more dazedly. Legolas hadn't seen her before she left. She'd spent an hour in the bathroom, getting ready, only to fly out the door. And he wished he had. He wished he'd gotten a chance to see this short, black dress on her. She never wore dresses.

"Kristy." the door swung open uselessly then, and Legolas remembered himself. Be attractive. _Stupid is not appealing._ So Legolas put a sultry smile on his lips. "You look…um, beautiful."

"Yeah, well." She sighed, looking at the toe of her shoe a little awkwardly.

"Is something wrong?" Legolas pressed, positioning himself to block the entrance. He carefully leaned on the doorframe, highly amused. She was so pretty when she flushed like that. It almost made this game worthwhile. It was so easy.

"I forgot my purse is all." Kristy mumbled. Her hands fidgeted for something to do, even as they hung uselessly at her sides. But there was nothing.

"Your purse." He said disbelievingly.

"I forgot my purse, and my money." She said.

"You have been gone nearly two hours."

"What is this, twenty questions?" she snapped. "Let me in. You don't think I'm letting Roger pay for my dinner, do you?"

Oh, it was food for the fire.

"But on a date, the male _buys_ for the female." He countered, totally aware she didn't want to do this. "Unless it," he pretended to gasp, "…wasn't a date? Unless Roger isn't willing to put his money where his _profligate_ mouth is?"

Oh. That was too far.

"For your information, _Mr._ Smith," she hissed venomously, stepping forward. "Roger offered to pay for everything. I said I wanted to come home because-because I was worried about Shenzie, a-and I forgot my keys."

Legolas blinked.

"I don't want you starving my dog, and I _don't_ want to be locked out of my own apartment _."_ She insisted, before shoving past him and walking into the apartment. "I swear, Estel is the only one with a head in this place." she muttered.

Aragorn smiled.

Legolas just spun around, staring after the girl in surprise. And Estel just watched. It was a miserable attempt at enticing her. If that elf kept his temper at bay for a solid five minutes…maybe he'd stand a chance.

"What did I do?" he protested in Sindarin, looking to Aragorn.

"Only being yourself, my friend." he sighed. "Charming to the last."

. . . . . .

Red, blue, pink lights danced merrily on the walls. Holiday music and jingle bells played on the stereo on the shelf, filling the apartment with a cozy, festive feel. Even Kristy felt better that night, tossing tinsel over a Christmas tree. It happened slowly; she didn't think it would. She didn't want to swallow her pride enough to come back. It was disgraceful…

But she felt too guilty, wining and dining with Roger.

"Don't bother." Kris glanced up. Tauriel held an over-excited Shenzie down in the kitchen, teaching her _down_ on command in case they ever needed the dog to be quiet. It was uncomfortable, speaking to the she-elf, but she did it anyway. "She's as dumb as a pail of rocks."

Aragorn smiled. "So what do you do on this 'Christmas' holiday, Kristine?" he spoke up, sketching something that she couldn't see. "What are your traditions? Customs? How do you celebrate?"

She deliberately avoided Legolas as he walked past, and she shrugged. "Well some people get smashed. Some people go home to their families. You know…eat together, play games, catch a cold." She laughed.

Aragorn smiled. It was a little hard to understand Kristy's Westron, the way she randomly shoved and placed English words in the mix, but manageable. "And you? How do you usually spend it?"

"The latter two, I guess." She confessed.

Legolas smirked. He picked up a box of things to hang on the tree, and he came up behind Kristy, bumped her lightly with it. She jumped, before sighing. Legolas held the carton with an infectious grin.

"You need help, Legolas."

"What kinds of games, Kristine?" the ranger asked, ignoring the comment. Instead, Legolas sidled up next to her, enveloped in the glow of the tree's lights. It smelled of plastic and pines, of dust burning on the tiny bulbs. A fire snapped and burned in the hearth, sending a bright yellow glow dancing through the room. "Truth or dare?" he suggested, remembering it from a movie on the television.

"Not a chance."

"But-" And Tauriel came out of the kitchen. Legolas broke off and smiled at her, behind Kris' back. He nodded her over, inviting her to help. "But everyone could do with more truth in this world. Do you not agree?" he pressed, handing Kris a glittery object. Tauriel hovered near the window, and he beckoned her over, expecting -

"Legolas!" Kristy gasped suddenly. "What the hell happened?"

Legolas jolted. "What."

She grabbed his wrist.

"Your hand!"

"Oh," Legolas flinched at the touch. "It is not serious."

She snatched the box away from him anyway. "Estel," she hissed, pointing at the ugly, dark slice across his palm. "What happened? Did _he_ do this?"

Legolas yanked his hand back, offended. "Why do you ask him what happened to me?"

"Because you wouldn't tell me if I asked!" She snapped.

Legolas rubbed his hand, aware of Tauriel's surprised glance between them. He suddenly felt some of the festive feel drain out of the air, and he hurried to get it back. "Try me." He dared.

Kristy blinked at him, obviously not expecting that. She glanced over his face. "What?"

"Try me. Ask."

"Well, what happened?"

"Truth or dare?"

Kris frowned.

"I cut myself on a kitchen knife." He stated, opting for the truth. "While you were out gallivanting with Roger, I wanted something to eat."

"There's tons of microwavable dinners in the freezer." She said, as if it were obvious. "What did you have to dice?"

Legolas scoffed. Better to turn the tables away from himself though, and he said flippantly. "Tasteless mush! We wanted food for a change. And obviously _you_ weren't around for the task, Kristy."

Tauriel raised a brow, crossing her arms. "That food does not taste very much like food; it is true."

"So you cut yourself chopping food." She said skeptically, letting the box rest on her hip.

Legolas side-eyed her reluctantly, before nodding. Why didn't she just let it go?

"Did you clean the cut?"

He shifted on his feet, taking a bell-shaped ornament from the box, fingering it, before hanging it on the tree instead.

"Legolas? Did you _clean_ it?"

And he smiled a little guiltily. "No."

"Oh, come on." She took his hand.

"But-"

"Legolas!" she snapped, and with that, dragged him away. "You. Bathroom. Now."

Tauriel watched them go with a sideways glance, and when they were gone, she turned to Estel. He was still drawing…something, charts and maps of it laid out under him. The sight of them made her smile a little, but it couldn't seem to last long.

So she focused on the ranger. It was strange, standing here. She'd never met the man before he came to Lothlorien. It was their common need to find Legolas that drew them together; she felt it even now.

"Something is wrong." She said quietly, gazing after them again with a sigh. This time, it wasn't in herself…the discontented stirrings she felt deep inside her, telling her to leave, to move on.

Aragorn's hand stilled.

"He is not the same as when we parted, those years ago." She whispered.

The ranger began turning the pen in his hands, round and round. "In what way?" he murmured softly.

The captain tore her eyes from the empty doorway and walked over, before sliding down on the couch beside. "Legolas was a withdrawn, quiet prince." she said. "I knew him since I was a child. He loved the trees and our people. He was a…dear friend."

Aragorn stared at his rough knuckles, listening. _Friend._ A part of him hoped Legolas was listening, too. But he knew it wasn't so.

"There is a change about him." He said in a quiet voice, "And I am not sure where it is from. What has happened to him, maybe, this place…Kristine."

"I hardly recognize him." Tauriel confessed.

Aragorn glanced up, studying her dark, furrowed eyes in the glowing lights. Sprigs of shadow glowed on the walls from where the garlands twined around tiny bulbs. It was peaceful, and yet he felt unsettled. "Even when he is not speaking…'English'."

"And what is he doing with Kristine?" she shook her head, whispering.

Aragorn didn't answer.

"Does he hope to keep her from the Marines by _provoking_ her?"

And Estel half-laughed. "I know not. But he does understand her better than I. Perhaps he knows what he's doing."

She sighed, staring at her cracked, broken nails. "I hope so."

. . . . . .

In the white light, Legolas leaned on the counter, staring at a tousled, blonde head as she bound his hand. The bright overhead bulbs were painfully bright. Kristy avoided his eyes. She moved with crisp, precise movements.

She was still angry at him.

"I know you are upset. You need not tell me with every look on your face."

She didn't react. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Legolas almost smiled. "Kristy-" and instantly, he flinched. Something stung, alcohol or peroxide in his hand. "Eh!" he yanked his hand back. "Be careful with that."

Kris stared straight ahead, mouth in a thin tight line. Then, she lifted her eyes acidly.

"Kristine." He pulled his fingers into a fist, ignoring the expression. "Tell me something. Did you desire to stay with Roger tonight? Is that why you are upset?"

She folded her arms, staring at him, but didn't answer.

"You could have gone back to him. Why didn't you?"

"I didn't feel like it. I was tired."

"Tired." he repeated. Legolas tilted his head a little. _Tired?_ What a feeble excuse. "What's the real reason? Please, I want to know."

Kris flicked her eyes at him once. "Are you going to give me your hand?"

And with a frown, Legolas snapped the lights off. She gasped.

"Legolas!" Kristy groped blindly and flicked them back on.

He flipped them off again and stepped closer, barring her access to the switch. " _Tell_ me. I wish to know."

"I don't care what you want to know!" She growled. "Gimme your hand…and _turn_ the light back on."

"Not until you tell me."

She stared up at him, breathing a little irregular. Then with a flustered, nervous twitch of her mouth, she shrugged indifferently. He felt it stir the air, and with the bright city lights outside streaming through the shade, he saw her eyes darken. "Fine. Fine! What do I care? Let the thing get infected. You'll probably contract hoof and mouth and die!"

He smirked. "You mean foot and mouth? Too many veterinarian shows for you, precious thing."

She glowered. "Don't patronize me. And I meant what I said."

"For your information the disease is from oral ingestion," he informed her, shifting forward, letting his voice become low and warm, "…according to a physician's medical book. Not surface injuries. Also, it is not fatal."

Kristy stared at him, hardly believing the words came out of his mouth.

"Now why are you angry with me?" he murmured, shifting closer, keeping his hands trailing along the counter. He pressed a palm against the wall, pinning her against the tile.

"G-get away from me." She whispered.

"I feel your heartbeat, Kristine." he breathed, "You are afraid."

"I'm not afraid."

And Legolas curled his fingers, opening and closing his fists. He felt her reach up to his chest, as if to push him away, and her fingers lingered, pressing against him. An open shade threw horizontal shadows across her face...her dilated pupils, parted lips drying like she couldn't breathe.

Oh. This was exquisite.

Legolas flexed his hips. Blood rushed. It filled Kristy's face a bright red. Her heart pounded in her chest; he heard it in her breath, felt it in her skin as it radiated heat, charging the air. Kristy reached behind herself with her other hand, blind, grimacing, feeling for the light switch, even as she glanced up into close, smoldering eyes. They were hooded in the dark.

"You told me you thought of me as a brother."

"I did not."

And as quickly as it happened, it ended. "You are afraid of me." he whispered. And with that, leaving it hanging in the air like a threat…a challenge, he pushed away from her.

Kris found it with a gasp of relief. By the time the fluorescents snapped on, Legolas was against the opposite wall like he'd never left, smiling coyly at her. His breathing was fast and irregular, but he forced it down. _Stay down._ Do not become flustered. Flustered is not appealing.

But she couldn't walk away. Kristy gasped short, panting breaths. "A-afraid…of you." she gaped in disbelief. Chest heaving, so furious she wanted to hit him. "Of _you?_ "

He just stared at her like he knew she wanted him to. _Keep the stare._

"Alright Legolas," she gasped, shaking. "You wanted to know why I'm _mad_ at you? I'll tell you! I'll tell you alright." Kris choked and swallowed, hitting hair out of her face. She tried to recover her composure, and she couldn't. She gulped a swallow of air. "You're an arrogant son of a bitch. You can't stay out of my life. You t-think you run me. You think I want your stupid opinion. You-"

"I what," he said, absolutely serious. "I care about you? I want to protect you?"

"No!" she spat. "No. You want to run my life!"

And he pressed his lips together, leaning back so his spine arched a little. He relaxed against the wall. The tile was cold, and he crossed his arms, tilting his head to one side. The movement made her wild, flashing eyes glance unwittingly to his chest. He knew it and she was caught.

"You are so afraid, Kristine." He said in disbelief.

But before she had a chance to protest, Legolas forced a smile at her and pushed off the wall with his arms. Legolas nipped her chin with the back of his finger, and flew down to press his lips against her mouth. She was too surprised to stop him. A searing caress…yet he lingered too long. He was about to turn away when she ripped her mouth from his and thrashed his face.

He stared at her, shocked...before touching his cheek. It stung, even though she didn't slap him hard. He just glanced her over, smiling a little, and walked away.

Kris stared after him, fuming so hard she couldn't see. It blinded her and the world was red, not white. _Afraid._ Afraid of what? Afraid of him? It was so preposterous, so infuriating she wanted to scream, hit something.

But that wouldn't help. It would mean he won.

And she didn't want that. Not even a little. He _wouldn't_ win.

. . . . . .

Late that night _,_ Tauriel held herself in her arms.

The sea-longing. When it happened, the world became empty, like a barren wasteland. There was nothing left there. It was a never-ending search for something better. And between foggy distant shores and a dewy ocean, the longing rose like a living, whispering thing. It curled and twisted out of the sea. It reached over hills, over dales and snowy mountains. It was a spray of foam and a gust of salty air in the wasteland. It lapped at your feet. It pulled, promised, soothed.

Tauriel looked over the city lights, Legolas at her side.

Lied? No, never lied.

It whispered of healing. Yes…healing, gray havens, of sailing ships. Distant, departed loved ones reached out with gentle, searching hands. She heard them. It reached through time and space, whispered from a hum of traffic, voices. She heard it and she wondered when it would be answered.

"Legolas." she whispered faintly, gazing at the stars.

He made a responsive sound, chin in hand. He was preoccupied. Something…Kristine maybe…shrouded his mind and engulfed him. His eyes were dark.

"Once," She said softly, "you said you would never sail the sea. You said the trees were your only home."

He grew still. A blur of light and dark focused into faint, pinpricks of windows, streetlights, traffic... And he blinked. "So it is for all Woodelves. No matter where we go, the Greenwood will alwaysbe home." He said quietly.

Tauriel didn't answer. She just…looked. It was so beautiful, the song.

Legolas turned. Brisk, flickering wind pulled at the midnight strands of her hair, dark in the blue of the sky. She stared, as if entranced with…something, haunted with a promise. Something beautiful and enchanting, like a far-away song.

"What is it, Tauriel?" he asked quietly.

She didn't answer. But her eyes turned to him, gleaming… And Legolas drew back. He inhaled a sharp, rigid breath.

"Tauriel?"

The ethereal glow filled her eyes; Legolas saw it and he didn't understand. He wouldn't. Even as the expression faded, utterly bound in a spell she felt weaving her soul into discontentment, longing…the word slipped from her lips.

"Nothing. I am sorry."

Legolas reached to touch her hand, and she drew back.

"Truly, it is nothing."

. . . . . .

A/N: Thank you for reading! I don't have to say again how much your guys' reviews have meant to me, but I will! Thank you. They mean so much to me. :)) And please have a great day.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hello! So here's the next installment of the story. And I love your reviews so very much, hearing what you're thinking so far. Please keep them coming!**

 **REMdream: Yes…amazing how he does that, isn't it? Legolas isn't exactly a 'ladies' man persay, but he certainly does know how to turn on the charm…when he wants to. xD**

. . . . . . . .

 _The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them. - Unknown_

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

With a deep sigh, Legolas shifted in the sheets. It was cold outside, but he slept shirtless. He didn't like the feeling of human's clothes. They were so restrictive. The sheets weren't as silky as he remembered either, but manageable.

And then, he sensed movement in the room.

Legolas lifted his head out of the pillows, blinking in the dark. Off in the corner, Aragorn slumbered in the recliner. No, it wasn't him. The clock ticked away on the wall…not that either. It was the silent whisper of footsteps that woke him. His first thought was Kristy. But the shadow's hair was longer and twisted in a chunky braid.

 _Tauriel._

"Hey!" he whispered.

She froze.

Legolas raked a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face so he could see. "What's up?"

Tauriel leaned closer, obviously confused. She glanced at the ceiling. "...up?"

"What are you _doing_?" he asked more insistently. And he wondered if that's what he looked like every time Kris said something nonsensical, when he first came here. So amusing.

"Simply for a walk." she said softly, and there was something about her voice. It was distant. Distracted.

Legolas wrinkled his nose, before ripping the blankets off and staggering out of bed. "Wait for me." he shivered in the cold.

It was five o'clock in the morning. The curfew was just ending and he could hear morning traffic outside. He threw his head in the shower and washed his face. Water splattered off his hair and he shook his head vigorously. _So cold._ He ran his hands through it and slicked it back, before hurrying on soft, worn jeans, a coat and his boots.

Tauriel was waiting for him outside. She didn't particularly want him with her; he knew that. But he had to be with her. It was an entire week after Christmas! He'd barely spent a solid hour with her since arriving here.

"So what do you want to do?" he asked with a forced smile. It felt terrible getting up this early. But that was because he was so used to sleeping in now. Stupid, weak human body.

"What do you?" she countered.

"How 'bout sparring?" he suggested immediately. "It feels like it's been so long!"

Tauriel frowned, creeping past Estel to the door. "But we should not draw attention to ourselves."

Legolas scoffed. That was something Kristy would say. And she was in bed. A perfect opportunity. "There is a park across the street, sheltered in the trees. We can go there."

"I-I am not sure." she looked up. But at Legolas' sly, tempting grin, eyes gleaming in the dark…she relented with a sigh. "Oh, very well. Let me get them."

Legolas tossed the knives back and forth in his hands eagerly as they rode down. Tauriel didn't seem to mind the elevator. In fact, she didn't seem to mind _anything._ She just looked, as if in her own, distant world. And suddenly he stilled, glancing over. It was still dusky outside. The feel of his knives made him feel exuberant. It was so long since he saw her smile.

"Tauriel," he hissed, tossing his knives to the floor. "Watch."

And as the elevator dropped at its usual, inhuman speed, he gathered himself...and leapt. Legolas kicked off the wall and his palms hit flat on the ceiling. The shaft continued to drop and a sickening lurch clenched in his belly, but it took twice as long for him to drop back to the floor.

And for an instant, he was in free-fall.

"What do you think?" he dropped back and grinned, feeling the rush in his head.

She blinked.

"Try it."

"I don't think so."

Legolas stared at her, feeling a little disappointed...wondering what it would take to get what he wanted from her, before forcing himself to smile again. "No one spars here, you know. They consider the bow and knives to be 'antiquated'."

The elevator doors opened, and Tauriel raised an eyebrow at him, stepping out. "Why am I not surprised?"

Legolas glanced around the lobby, taking her warm hand in his; he walked briskly to the glass doors. It was satisfying. In the Greenwood, all those years ago, it was 'improper'. He was a prince. She was Sylvan. But there was no king looking at him with disapproving eyes now. There were good things about this world, after all.

And the words slipped out of him before he could stop. "Your hand is warm." he commented in surprise.

She started.

"Ah, I..." he hurriedly corrected. "I mean, Kristine is usually so cold in this weather. I-" _Oh, that was worse._ Legolas stopped himself, feeling more than a little self-conscious. Blood rushed to his face and he pushed it down. "Never mind."

Tauriel didn't pull her hand away, but it went lax in his.

Legolas pushed the doors open and felt relief at the gust of cold air that met them. A sheet of fresh-fallen snow blanketed the park outside. Strings of lights laced the branches, wove green through the black, but they were dark as the sun rose. Kristy's apartment complex rose up out of the city like a monster, looking out over the lower buildings. Tiny icicles pricked every branch, and Legolas smiled slightly.

"It is beautiful," he murmured, looking up, "the trees. Are they not?"

A moment passed, cool and crisp in the morning air. "I suppose." she murmured softly.

Legolas watched the movement of her coppery head. "You...suppose." he narrowed his eyes. And he couldn't take this. A rush of worry swept through him. And irritation. "What do you mean, _mellon_? Why do you act like this? Is something wrong?"

"No." she twisted her hand out of his. "It is just...the trees have lost some beauty for me, Legolas. The woods of Lorien are magnificent. Yet," she looked down, agitated. "Never mind."

Legolas slowed his steps, thinking about it: her face, the uncomfortable words. "And yet, what?"

And something changed. She took a deep, sharp breath of the frigid air and her eyes focused. "My relatives have moved to the western shores, Legolas, near the Havens. And…they say the sea is beautiful there, more so than all our forests combined."

Legolas' heart dropped and he pulled her to a stop. "The sea." he nearly spat. _The sea._ All the joy was sapped out of him and he grimaced. "Why do you speak to me of the _sea_?"

She avoided his gaze. Her green eyes turned away, porcelain skin gleaming in the faint light. But Legolas didn't look at that.

"I was preparing my journey there...before your fellowship arrived." she admitted.

Legolas pulled back. "You...what? You were leaving Lorien?"

She lifted her chin, spinning a flashing blade in her hand. She was uncomfortable; that was obvious. But her voice stayed strong. "I was."

Legolas side-stepped until she was forced to look at him. "Why didn't you tell me this?" he asked harsher than he meant to. _The sea..._ no one stayed long when they moved to the West dales. Not a wood-elf, not a child of the trees! She was...no, she couldn't. She couldn't do that to him!

"I am not sailing." the former captain said quickly, firmly. "I did not mean that."

Legolas just stared. "What do you mean, then?" he asked frostily. He shouldn't feel this way. It was wrong. But he felt betrayed, somehow. _Was this why she acted so strange?_ So distant, so distracted: she wanted to sail?

"I need a change." she said simply. "I could not stay there any longer. The pain, I..." she pursed her lips in a tense, frustrated frown.

"A change." he said, just a little flat. Change was not always good. Change was…the unknown. And the last time she said that she ran off to the woods of Lorien! Yes, after the Battle of the Five Armies, Legolas took off into the wilds for a time, too. But that was different. He always knew he'd come back. He needed the Greenwood. It was home.

Tauriel fingered the hilt of the blade, and a part of Legolas wanted to turn on his heel and walk away. But he didn't. He did that once already…and he regretted it. She needed him then. She was his friend. Legolas had let his feelings get in the way those years ago, and he wouldn't do it again.

"Come on then." He smiled a little, tossing his knife from hand to hand. "We can speak of this later. Let us spar."

. . . . . . .

"Why in God's name would he do that?"

Aragorn's mouth twitched.

"Somebody could see them!"

In the park, _sword_ fighting? God, how could he?

"What is he, insane?"

Kris struggled to pull on a coat as she ran. Legolas and precious Tauriel, out dueling in the snow. As if they didn't draw enough attention already! It was midmorning and the shriek of laughter led her down the right path. Estel was behind her… She couldn't hear him, but she knew he was there, following with that tiny gray sparkle in his eyes.

Kris broke through the tree line and stared at the two. She hit a tree branch out of the way and it snapped her in the face. But there was Legolas, sparkling with snow and grinning like a madman. Tauriel was in the snow beside. Legolas had a throwing knife in one hand, coiled himself back, before hurling it twenty feet into a tree trunk.

The wild wish to take that silly face and hit it burned into her. But she didn't. Instead, she dove to the ground as Legolas reached for another knife. She balled a packed sphere of snow in her hands and…before he could release…threw. Hard.

"Aye!" Legolas yelped and spun around, eyes flashing. And then he froze.

Kristy stood there, at the edge of the clearing, arms folded. She looked like an angry mother…or an irate sister. Snow drizzled down his face and he shivered, feeling it melt in his hair.

"Kristy." he said stupidly.

"What the hell are you doing?" she said in a voice like she already knew the answer.

Legolas didn't even have time to force some charm into his face before she kicked through the drifts, snow flying and she shoved him. _Hard_.

"Kris-"

"What's your problem?" she cut him off. "Is all this just a big game to you? Are you _crazy_?"

"What are you talking about?" he protested. Legolas didn't fight and he let himself stumble back in the snow. Kris pushed him again, in the chest, both hands.

"Knives? _Knives?_ Are you _serious?_ " she spat, pointing at the white-wooded handles in the tree. Aragorn reached out but Legolas threw a hand, holding him at bay. Tauriel shifted away, the smile draining from her face. "Throwing them around a public park? You want to be arrested!"

Legolas shook his head. "Kristy, I-"

"You don't get it, do you?" she grimaced, panting icy breaths of air in the cold. She stared, let the madness from last night, every night, the weeks ever since…since she couldn't remember flare to life. And she was angry. "Or do you just not care _?"_

She remembered his smoldering eyes, the laughing twitch at his mouth, the insistent attention he gave her. It made the fury more hot and more real. He teased her. All the time he teased her, and it all came rushing back. Or maybe after all they'd been through…he despised her. Maybe he wanted to show her how ridiculous what she wanted _really_ was. How stupid she was!

"Try thinking about someone besides yourself, you bastard!" she hissed, and pushing off of him, about to whirl around…she didn't make it.

Legolas raised a defensive arm. Kris felt the air leave her lungs and with a jolt, she slammed back in the snow. The sky spun and she blinked, stunned. Instantly, shocked at his actions, Legolas reached to help her up. He was off-balance, breathing fast, stepping forward…

"Kris, I-"

Before he knew what happened, his legs were kicked out from under him.

Kris scrambled back as he fell, out of the snow.

"Kristine!" Aragorn shouted. It was too late.

Legolas hit the ground but was instantly getting up again, gasping in surprise. To his further shock, she grabbed his wrist and threw his chest into the snow. He could've twisted away, but her fingers pinched the nerve in his neck painfully tight. It wasn't worth it.

"Never do that again." she whispered venomously.

Kristy was on her feet, staggering back again, and she stared at him. Legolas almost lost his breath. He'd never seen her so… so wild. Her eyes flashed and she flexed her fists, as if expecting an attack.

 _Where in Eru's name did she learn that from?_

Legolas sucked a sharp breath through his teeth, unable to think of how to respond. It didn't hurt, not really. He pushed her on accident. But she'd attacked him on _purpose_. Legolas grimaced. _He should be angry._ He should be upset…embarrassed, something. But all he could do is stare into those blue-green, flashing eyes. They were bright and wild. It was too much to comprehend.

"I'm late for work." she managed somehow. It sounded blunt and stupid even to her ears, but she couldn't face him anymore. She couldn't take it.

And with that, Kris turned and fled. 

. . . . . . . . .

 _Wind, traffic_ …

Kris ran harder, as if speed could force away every doubt, ever confused, mixed-up feeling and throw it over the bridge. Cables and rail flew past her, cars beside, above, below. Everywhere. Her boots pounded the pavement _bam bam_.

Hot. _Panting, bitter cold biting her eyes…_

Legolas. She kept thinking about him. Roger couldn't come through. He wasn't doing what he was _supposed_ to do! It wasn't fair.

And she tried to run it away. Life was hectic, exhausting and...and frustrating. She grimaced, pushing a gloved hand through her hair as she ran. _When did it start?_ This, all of it? It started that day she knocked a man over in the rain, that's when. It started the instant she looked in those startling, crystal blue eyes.

 _Dammit._

Why didn't she stay home that day? Why did she have to take that route, that same time, that very instant he staggered into the street? None of this would have happened!

 _That's right._ She cursed herself, bolting and using both hands to run up a long, metal-grated stair climbing a second bridge. The more exhausted she became, the better she felt. _None of this would have happened._ Never would have read that book, she never would have seen Legolas smile…a dimpled smile, the one so full of quiet, eager mischief.

 _You'd never have to say goodbye._

But she'd never say hello either! Never heard him say it either, never watched him wrestle Shenzie to the floor. _That's what you want?_ She asked herself angrily.

No.

It was a sinking feeling, like hearing the first _crack_ rumbles of a stellar storm. She didn't want that. She never would. No matter what happened, how much she felt like her heart was smashed every day, beating uselessly in her chest…she wouldn't have traded it for anything.

Even Legolas now, the way he was…every look a suggestion, every word a whisper, as if tantalizing her _deliberately_ with something she couldn't have. It was her imagination. This morning was exactly what her stupid mind was doing! Legolas was just confused. He wanted to distract her, or be distracted. Tauriel was distant. Maybe he was lonely… Maybe that was why he took her out to spar this morning.

Who cared?

Legolas' newfound attitude didn't change a thing. They were going home…somehow, some way. They'd find a way: Aragorn would! She knew it as sure as the day was dark, cold, and snowing. Legolas would live his life in a world so very far away. She'd never see him again. She'd never hear his throaty, musical voice or touch his pale, silky hair. It wasn't meant to be. _Destined to fail…_ miserable, alone, wanting something she couldn't have. That's it.

She was running down her anger, every bit of fierce, deprecating thoughts she couldn't escape. And drowning in the worthless, angry storm, she didn't see it coming. It looked like snow. The pavement was white. The sidewalk turned to glare ice and Kris gasped. She flew, her boots slipped out; her head slammed into pavement.

Dark.

. . .

 _God. It hurts._

That was the first thing she realized.

Kristy let out a slow hiss, gritting her teeth at the dark gray sky. Flakes settled on her face in fat, feathery drops and she winced in the cold. _Head, left palm, ankle…_ yes: ankle. That was the worst.

Kristy slowly reached down and forced her head off the ice. Her hair froze to the snow and a tiny whimper leaked out of her throat. _Damn_ it hurt!

She threw her head back, looking around. _Where was she?_ It felt like she'd run miles. It was a bridge on the way home, maybe half-way; eight lanes of windy traffic whipped through her hair and snagged it. She flinched, and she suddenly wanted to hide, fight it, something. It was so cold up here! And Kris wanted to get up and limp home. She'd crawl if she had to…But it was too far. She tried to struggle to her feet and she collapsed. A short whimper croaked out her throat and she squashed it down.

 _Dammit._

It was getting dark. She looked around. White sun burned the clouds in a last burst of pathetic light, as snow fell. Kristy peered through the rails, looking out over the vast city, and it was rapidly turning to dusk.

 _Roger._

Kristy fumbled in her coat pocket and almost cried in disappointment. She forgot her phone. _Again_. She panted, starting to panic. Her fingers were becoming numb in the cold as her blood rush slowed. They flew over her jeans and all her pockets, and she hoped blindly that the marine was somewhere nearby, or would miss her tonight at dinner. They were supposed to meet in an hour!

She hit the pavement in anger and then, panting gusts of vapor in the cold, leaned back on the rails. Another freeway screamed past far below. She focused on breathing, managing the pain gnawing at her swelling ankle. Damn. _Of course this would happen!_ She pulled the hood over her head angrily and grimaced, hating herself. She couldn't even manage a two-mile _run_ without going and hurtingherself…

Legolas was right.

She was incapable. Useless. He never trusted her. And he was right! Kris hadn't even thought to put on a decent coat. It was her work coat, belted tight around the waist and tried failingly to keep her warm.

 _Rog…_ Oh, Roger, where are you?

Kristy curled her uninjured leg up under her and she folded her arms tight. She stared emptily through the blur of traffic on the massive bridge. Her face was slowly growing numb, and she buried her face in her hands. _So cold._ Why didn't she just drive straight home? Call a taxi? Something _._

She didn't want to. That's why! It felt good to burn off every scrap of pent-up, frustrated feelings Legolas made that morning.

 _How does it feel now?_ A cynical voice asked, and she squashed it down. _Shut up._

. . . . . . . .

A hundred…two hundred cars, more passed. Nothing happened. She couldn't think. She tried to summon the strength to limp home. But it hurt so much. The cars went by so fast, too fast to flag down.

And by the time something happened, a break in the bitter dark rushing traffic, constant, blowing wind…dark had well fallen. Snow reflected off the flashing headlights. Clouds rolled by. And there was Kristy, curled in on herself in a small, hurting ball. It was _so_ cold.

Anger kept her thinking. _Why didn't he come?_ He didn't care. Not really. If he did, wouldn't have he called the apartment? See if tonight was still on? Here she was, half-way home and freezing cold, trying to think of Roger. _Why did she do this to herself, again and again?_ Why did she get so attached so easily? Why did she have to let stupid, worthless feelings soak into every day, every thought, every decision she made? It influenced her, made her irrational. Why did she do it?

And then…the hot rush of an engine…

Kris blearily blinked her eyes open.

 _What the-_ No.

Past strings of overhead lights, burning dimly on the bridge, across eight lanes of highway, a silver Grand Prix, headlights burning bright yellow slammed to a stop by the curb. And she saw the door fly open. _Her_ car.

Kris struggled off the rail and leaned forward, feeling stiff and numb. _Impossible._

"Kristy!" He shouted and his voice shattered the rush of traffic.

"Legolas…" she whispered in disbelief.

And before she could even register it, blink her frosty lashes open enough to see, he was ducking and weaving through traffic. She almost gasped. He was crossing the freeway!

"Legolas," she coughed, pushing her hood back and letting hair tumble free. It kept her warm, but now it just got in the way. "…stop!" she tried to get upright, but her ankle flared and she stumbled on her hands.

Legolas was across the median and, with a last protesting shriek, horns blaring, he leapt over the guard rail.

"Legolas, what the hell are you _doing_?" she panted, clutching her leg in agony.

He was on the ground then, breathing fast; she smelled fear and…and something else. Panic. Kristy recoiled at the touch and he grabbed her face in gloveless hands. His skin was cold and hot, warm and icy in the wind. His scent filled her lungs: smoke, sweet wood, pines.

"Kristy…" he breathed, ripping her hands from her coat.

Kris jolted and yanked back in surprise. They flew over her, feeling. He tore off her gloves, touching her hands. His fingers worked up her sleeve and gripped her wrists, looking for broken bones…frostbite. Something.

"What are you doing?" she protested. "S-stop!"

"Why are you out here?" he barked, flinching in a blast of wind. Kris winced, shocked at his voice. But he grabbed her face in one hand, flying hot fingertips over her ears…lips, grazing her nose and he kissed her. Legolas crushed his mouth to her forehead and yanked back again, staring at her.

"What in _God's_ name were you thinking?" he demanded, shaking her. It didn't hurt, but it rattled her teeth and she blinked. "Are you mad?! What are you doing out here? You were supposed to come _home._ "

Kristy fumbled for what to say, even as a part of her felt the slow, mind-numbing cold making her sluggish. She couldn't think. She could barely move.

And Legolas kissed her again…on the mouth. It happened so fast she-she couldn't think. But his hot breath shot warmth through her and he clutched the back of her skull in a vice-like grip, pinned her against him so tight she couldn't do anything but kiss him back. Incredible. Searing.

Legolas slid a hand through her hair slowly…a caress, and she was loathe to let him go. His mouth slowly broke away and he licked his lower lip, glancing over her face in the dark. Gone was the anger. All of it. Kris stared at him, buried in his body's heat, sheltered from the wind by his chest. He was so warm. He was so… _so Legolas_ , she thought stupidly.

"Come on." he muttered, glancing down. He was flustered. She knew it by his erratic breathing as he pulled away. He wasn't playing a game. Not this time. He was afraid...terrified, agitated.

Kris was yanked gently off the sidewalk and even if she wanted to stand, numb and her limbs fast asleep, she couldn't. He pulled her legs off the ground and hefted her into his arms.

"Legolas, I-" she tried, but he cut her off.

"Be quiet." he said. Legolas was angry and-and… frightening. It scared her. There was something she barely ever saw in him, something dangerous and commanding, something like a warrior or a killer in every move he made. He was upset. Legolas stepped over the low rail and wove through the backed-up traffic, striding over the eight lanes like they were nothing.

Kris wanted to protest. She wanted to scream at the honks and violent, jerking movements it took to get them back. But it was rush hour, and within five minutes, the road-blocks up ahead stopped up cars for half-a-mile.

They made it.

"You're c-crazy!" she managed as he yanked the car door open, supporting her with one arm and his knee. It was the _passenger_ door, too. He was going to drive! "You can't _drive._ " she insisted.

"I can." He shot back.

Again, Kristy winced at his voice. The heater was on in here. So hot _._

Legolas reached across her lap and belted her into the seat, yanking the strap tight across her chest. She was still stiff and she wanted to hit him off. Not out of anger, so much…but confusion. But he pushed her into the seat and the familiar car-smell overwhelmed her.

"Be still." he said more gently, close to her face. And looking up again, taken aback… she realized he was kissing her. It was so brief, she didn't have time to fight or think or…or anything. His mouth was so hot. It made her forget everything else. One hand grabbing the car roof and the other flat on the console, he pushed his open mouth against hers for a brief, insistent caress…dragging his tongue over her lower lip.

And he was gone.

 _Slam._

Kris flinched. What _happened_?She panted, panicking as she watched Legolas step off the curb and walk around to the drivers' side. This was so wrong! And…and so fast, it shouldn't be happening like this. It shouldn't be happening at _all._ What about this morning? She was so angry! _Wasn't he?_

And still, Legolas dropped into the drivers' seat, shut the door hard, and stomped on the gas.

"What were you thinking?" he demanded quietly, clamping his mouth shut in anger…or alarm. Kris couldn't decide. He wove and dipped off the highway onto the shoulder, ignoring the protesting honks, and before the road block up ahead, he swerved off the street and onto an exit.

"I…" she took fast, hot breaths of air, trying to think.

But she couldn't. She was starting to shiver hard; the heater was so hot it _hurt._ Her face was burning with the sudden warmth and belly clenched, she tried desperately to keep the memory of his kiss down. "I w-was running, that's all. And-and I fell." she shivered.

"Running home? At five below zero?" he spat. "You're _mad_!"

Kristy gripped her seat restraints. "A-and what about you? You were throwing knivesin the park! You're driving." she spluttered in protest. "You don't even have a license."

Legolas shook his head, as if it didn't matter. He was fairly steady on the road though, to Kris' stunned surprise, and he was a leadfoot. A _terrible_ leadfoot.

"Roger called." he explained. He sounded like it was the last thing he wanted to do, but he forced the words out. "You had a date with him tonight." He spat like an accusation.

"What if I did?" she said. Kristy reached out to turn the heater off, but he slapped her hand away.

"Leave it on."

"I didn't need you to come after me!" she almost shouted, still breathing fast. It came out a cracked, pathetic squeak and she swore. "I didn't _need_ you to come." she repeated more subdued.

"How long were you going to sit out there?" he said. His voice filled the front seat: suppressed anger, fear, frustration. "How long do you think you'd last in this cold?"

"It was just a run! If Roger didn't show up, I'd g-get home. He knows what route I take to get home. H-he would have come for me. I'd have been fine!"

"You're mad." he turned his head, struggling to glare at her and keep track of traffic at the same time. "Roger _didn't_ come. Doesn't that tell you anything?"

She didn't answer. She was shaking too hard.

"Why did you go alone?" he protested. "Look at you! You're _human_ Kristine _._ You are a weak, susceptible, pathetic human and you keep forgetting it!"

Pathetic human. Kristy couldn't believe he just said that. She stared at him, agape.

And then she managed to choke. "Human? Well hate to break it to you, but so are you, pal." her voice broke. "You're just as human as me, you-you _hypocrite_."

"You're notlike me." Legolas said quietly. He was shaking too; Kristy saw it: his hands, his voice, but not from the cold. "When are you going to realize that? You disobeyed me in the cabin, almost _killed_ yourself following us into those woods. Now this."

 _He was bringing this up now?_ How long had he been stewing on that?

"M-my gun, that troll-"

"Nearly killed you." he finished for her. "Do you know how easy it would be for a night like this to take you? _I_ know what to do. No matter what you see now, I'm not like you, Kristine! Do not dare justify your stupidity by using me. I have lived more years than you could possibly imagine."

And she stared at him in the dark.

In the shuddering, nerve-numbing cold, realization sunk in.

Yes.

Another difference, another reason: Legolas was right. She thought he was human, at least like this. No matter how much she told herself no _,_ a tiny idiotic hope burned inside her. She thought he was like her, even in a tiny insignificant way. That's why she clung to these hopes, like he could actually, someday…someday- No.

He wouldn't.

Kristy looked down, feeling miserable and ashamed. Not for forgetting her phone, for running icy streets alone and close to dark, or even falling and hurting her stupid self.

Legolas was a prince. She knew that. Of course she knew it! But she'd never really _thought_ about it. She thought it didn't matter. But it did. He was a warrior. He…he belonged in a beautiful, _immortal_ palace. He didn't belong here. Soon he'd be gone! He'd be living a thousand years after all this was dead and gone. He'd help shape his world and do great things, be great, marry someone great.

 _And what was she?_ Who was she?

Kris turned her face away, and she grimaced so hard it felt like her face would crack. Anger. Shame. She was a stupid, twenty-something year old girl with tiny dreams.

And Legolas breathed softer. "I'm sorry, Kristine."

Kristy held herself tighter, and she wanted to tell him to just shut-up. She didn't want to hear him and his confusing, back-and-forth riddles. He kissed her one minute and belittled her the next. He was Legolas: sweet, arrogant Legolas, and then a prince of his people, domineering, superior. He was someone who could never want someone like her.

But she didn't. Kristy kept her mouth shut and prayed for Roger. She wanted arms to collapse into, not swallowing down sobs and angry words in front of this-this _elf,_ hurting and shaking alone. It was a blow to her pride, every single one.

Legolas heard her broken breathing…and he wanted to touch her, caress her leg. He shouldn't. He was right, after all. But he wanted to. And for some reason, struggling with the controls and the icy streets, he didn't.

. . . . . . . .

 **A/N: And…ha ha! Legolas can drive. Thanks for reading, and reviewing if you find the time to! Thank you. :))**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hello all! I know this is a little early for an update, but things are happening fast and the next two chapters (20 & 21) might be coming at the same time. Hope you enjoy! **

**Guest: No, no. I know it wasn't. He was just so upset, that's all! It wasn't a good way to behave, but he's so confused right now. And his feelings are just running amuck.**

 **Dreamer: Ooh…thank you so much. :))**

. . . . . .

 _Here's how you know if your mission on Earth is finished: If you're alive, it's not._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Legolas slammed the door shut and walked around the front of the car.

"Open the stupid thing." Kris fumbled in the dark. Her fingers were on fire. They burned cold and hot, and she could barely see in the black, underground garage. "Unlock it!"

"It is unlocked." Legolas grimaced, before yanking the door open.

And she blinked stupidly, before sliding out on legs she could barely feel. "It…it must've been stuck."

Legolas stepped off the curb. Yes." He agreed dryly, "I'm sure." Before reaching to grab her around the waist -

"No!" Kris stumbled, wincing on her bruised leg. "Leave me alone. I c-can manage."

"Stop it, Kristy."

" _You_ stop." she just managed to stay upright. "I said I can manage, and-and I can."

"Kristine." He snapped, losing patience. No, that wasn't true. He lost every last trace of that patience _long_ ago. But he fought to reign it in again.

And he moved close, so close she had to back up against the car. "You will listen to me." He said quietly, next to her ear. So close her breath sped up. "The power is out in the building again. You are so cold you can barely stand; it may be frostbite. You are injured, and I know not how. You _will_ obey me now."

And she narrowed her eyes, fuming at the floor. He was right.

"Come…" He said more gently. He dropped his head, searching her eyes, and his fingers found her chin. "Do not worry about Roger. He will not see you tonight."

"Says who?" she snapped.

And Legolas frowned, before picking her up with a grunt. Legolas pushed the door shut with his elbow, looked at her a moment, and his grip tightened. "Says I."

Twenty-five flights up, Kris couldn't believe he wasn't winded. Legolas climbed up the last step with her in his arms. Either that or his breathing was so fast before, and she couldn't tell.

It didn't matter. He had no right to do this. Who'd he think he was? He thought he had a _right_ to order her around. And he was hundreds…maybe thousands of years older than her. She couldn't even protest. He was damn right and he knew it.

Stupid elf.

It was _bitterly_ cold. And she was numb. Kris couldn't feel her face anymore, and in the tiny, emergency back-up lights strung down the hall, she held onto Legolas' neck in both arms. His breath warmed her nose and her cheeks. She wished he'd breathe faster, tire a little. It would feel good. She pulled him closer, clung to him like a child and helped support her weight in his arms. She loved and hated the position he put her in. And Kristy closed her eyes, resting her head against him in the dark.

"How is she?" a voice broke the hush.

Legolas' throat rippled against her face. "Cold. Get me blankets, please. Stir the fire."

"- I'm fine."

But he didn't listen, and Kris didn't mind. She should have; but she didn't. Kristy struggled to move her sluggish fingers, barely, but they were stiff. Estel was there, examining her hands. It was dark. Firelight lapped and licked at the walls.

"Please…really, I'm fine." She mumbled. "I j-just wanna blanket."

But she got more than that. A dark, velvety quilt wrapped around her tight. Legolas struggled to pull off her coat and when she was stripped to a spaghetti-strap camis, the only dry thing on her, he joined her under the blanket, pulling her close. Kris grimaced. It felt good in a suffocating, boiling kind of way. She was cold, and still so hot.

"Where is Tauriel?" he asked.

 _Dammit._

Estel touched her ankle carefully, and she refused to wince. The pain was better now.

"I do not know." He murmured as he did. "She was outside with Shenzie when the marine called."

 _Good._ That means she didn't know what happened! Kris reluctantly tucked her head under Legolas' chin, feeling exhausted and a little bitter. That would be all she needed. Tauriel knowing how incapable she was; the elf probably never slipped on a patch of ice in her life!

"She was out running." Legolas muttered in explanation.

 _Prob'ly never even tripped_.

"Does Mirkwood have ice?"

Aragorn didn't answer, instead pushing her pant leg up and feeling for fractured bones. Legolas ignored her too.

"Estel…Is it serious?" he asked instead.

"Of course not."

Kris blinked, a little surprised. Estel's voice was quick and irritated.

Legolas noticed it too. "What is wrong?"

Aragorn placed a hand on her knee, wrapping a strip of white bandage from the bathroom around Kristy's ankle. Legolas' body sheltered her from the fire's raw heat, but it lapped and soaked through the blanket. "Nothing."

He sat up straighter. "There is. Tell me."

"Do not worry so!" he hissed, lifting flashing gray eyes. "You are like a maternal grandmother."

Legolas recoiled a little. And Aragorn glanced down apologetically. "She is fine, _mellon._ Believe me. It is twisted some, and bruised, that is all. She will be walking again in a day or two."

"Thank you." Kris mumbled, slowly rubbing her fingers inside the blanket, still feeling a little taken-aback.

The dark, haunted expression in Estel's gray eyes wouldn't leave her head. And they both knew it was there.

. . . . . . .

"Thank god Krissy." Roger's voice broke through the phone. "I was so worried when you didn't show! Why the hell didn't you call?"

"Um…I forgot my phone." Kris answered, curled up in the couch. She wished Legolas wasn't so close to the phone. But his chin rested against her head, and she was enveloped in his arms and deep folds of blanket.

"Why didn't you let me pick you up?"

Kris shifted uncomfortably. Tauriel came out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel through her wet hair, and she paused to listen. It made her feel even worse. She knew all about it. It was inevitable that the captain would find out, of course… Legolas saw to that. But it didn't help.

She was perfect.

"I don't know. I wasn't thinking." She said, subdued.

Tauriel half-laughed, watching them cuddle in the corner of the couch. Tongues of firelight lapped at the walls and his face…She'd never seen Legolas so content. But that seemed to change at Rogers' next words.

"Tonight?" Kris repeated, Legolas blinking his attention back. "Coffee?" she said as Tauriel disappeared into the bedroom. "I-I don't really know. It kind of hurts."

Legolas jumped and slipped a hand over the speaker. "Tell him no." He whispered quickly.

Kris batted his hand away.

"I don't know, Rog. Laura's pretty busy these days with…with her husband. Can I think about it?"

 _Kristy's family…_ He wanted to visit her family? Legolas refused to let that happen.

"No." Legolas whispered into her ear. "Tell him no. You want to stay here."

Kris grimaced, trying to shuffle back from him. But she was trapped against the deep armrest and Legolas tightened his grip on her. " _Please_ Kristine." He said and then, when she started stammering something into the phone like 'How about a movie? Up here?' …Legolas reached down and nipped her ear.

"Rog!" Kris hissed, feeling her heart skip and jump in her ribs. "- Yeah, it's my neighbor Luke. You know: the creep. I'm sorry. He just won't leave me alone."

Legolas almost smiled, because she lost her breath. _So very easy._ He inhaled deeply.Kristy was cuddled impossibly close under his arm. She felt good there. He could handle this.

Carefully, gently, he traced the outer shell of her ear with his lips. _Stay, Kristy. Please stay._

Was it just two hours ago that he was driving dark streets? Blind, searching, crazed with worry for this creature? His entire body enveloped her, lending her warmth. She felt so small.

He snaked an arm around the back of her head, leaned forward in the cushions. He combed her hair back from behind, using the tips of his fingers.

"Is-is there any reason you can't call herfor that?" she managed to say, pushing a hand up against his chest. She shook her head 'no' at him, as if that could stop it.

Legolas smiled. He knew her hand was to keep him back, but it only upped the prize. He pulled her closer, readjusted himself to nuzzle through the waves of soft hair tucked behind her ear. And he took her ear gently between his teeth. Kris flinched. She struggled to push him away, but he just grinned. He nipped her playfully and seductively.

"Don't go with him, Kristy. Stay." he breathed into her ear, sinking a faint, generous kiss in the sensitive spot just under her ear. He spent the last two hours keeping her warm. The heat was out in the apartment again. But he'd keep her hot all night if it kept that Marine from buzzing around.

Kris ignored him. "It's a little late for that. Isn't it too long a drive? -Stop!" she told Legolas. Kristy slid her knees up in a defensive position. But Legolas got his legs beneath them and he was on his side now, playing with her hair. "-No! No, not you Rog."

Legolas lifted his legs under the blanket, so she was in his lap, and he smiled at her. _Gods, she felt good._ So warm, so incredibly real and-he felt around her waist with one hand-firm. Legolas made a soft noise of pleasure, and he slowly buried his mouth in her neck. He parted his teeth...

" _Rog,_ I gotta call you back!" Kristy gasped as Legolas sucked. "I-I-I'll let you know, I swear!" she squeaked. "Just gimme a minute."

Legolas' kiss became a chuckle and he laughed against her neck. "You want to stay. Don't you." It wasn't a question.

Kris cringed and she gulped at the same time. Oh, the feeling was incredible. Indescribable. She squeezed her eyes shut, in fury or pleasure he didn't know, inhaling sharply. And Legolas was kissing down her neck. He should have stopped now. He could have…and yet he didn't. He was stirring, becoming alive. He was determined and afraid, and aroused at the same time. He was treading dangerously close to something…something he wanted and yet didn't.

"You shouldn't have left this morning, Krissy." He echoed Rog's name for her. Legolas had to do this. He had to and he wanted to. Badly. His hair fell into the blanket and he slid down. Legolas caressed her chest with the side of his face, pushed himself up against her. Her lungs rose up and down and he felt the swell of her breasts dangerously close to his mouth… So soft, so smooth, like warm silk.

He murmured quietly. "I didn't like that."

"I…don't know what you mean."

The shower was on in the bathroom. Tauriel braided her hair in the bedroom. Legolas knew he was safe. And he reached down, gently slipping a hand down her thigh so he could push one knee lower than the other. He slid his between them. Then he used that leg to pull their hips together. _Oh…_ that felt good. Legolas sat up a little, slowly, and he trailed unhurried kisses up the side of her throat.

"You know very well what I mean."

"Legolas…I want to get out!" Kristy squirmed. "Let me go. I don't need you anymore. I-I'm warm enough."

"Oh be still." He whispered and she went lax under him, panting. Legolas knotted a hand through her hair and pulled it back firmly. "Tell me you really want to go." He said breathily, daringly. He kissed her again, pulling her head back gently to reach her throat. "Tell me you want to leave."

"I wanna-" she blinked furiously at the ceiling, clamping her mouth shut in protest. But it was so dark in the apartment. He was so close…so close his scent filled her lungs: pines, smoke. It was intoxicating. Delicious.

"I want-" she couldn't finish.

Legolas eased her chin to the side, soaking in the new position. She felt so vulnerable like this. So irresistible. He parted his teeth and slid his tongue up the edge of her throat and he felt her gulp, lose her breath. He slid it even slower along her collarbone…a long, lingering caress. He inhaled deeply. "Tell him, my Kristy."

"Tell him w-what?"

Legolas almost smiled. She wanted to play this; well so could he.

"Tell him you're staying...with me. Right now."

And suddenly, the bathroom door opened. Kris let out a gasp. Legolas jerked his mouth out of her neck and looked up instantly. She blushed and she wanted to push him back. But deep under the velvety blanket, she could barely even move, much less get out.

"Roger might be coming up!" Kristy burst out to Estel. "I-I think you guys should spend the night downstairs. Can you all go, please?"

Estel glanced at Legolas, surprised, and the elf grimaced.

 _This wasn't supposed to happen._ What was all that for? She couldn't even breathe! Didn't that mean anything?

There was warning in Aragorn's eyes, and he said carefully. "The Marine? …Why?"

"He just wants to watch a movie or something." Kris explained quickly. Under the blanket, her hands were braced up against Legolas' firm chest, keeping him back desperately. "Rog shouldn't be seeing you guys here, not b-before you can find some way back. It'll be fine, I swear. Besides, Reiner's apartment is empty. Just to be safe, you know? I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Aragorn nodded slowly, letting his unsettled glare flick Legolas' way. "Very well. We will go. Legolas, are you coming?"

"I'll stay a little longer." He said, feeling angry blood crawl up his neck. He was failing. She was cold and she was reaching out to Roger. This couldn't be happening. _Didn't she understand?_ Couldn't she _see_ him?

Apparently not.

"Go without me." He growled softly, staring at Kristy in the dark.

Kris watched Tauriel follow Aragorn out, throwing a wary, unsettled glance over her shoulder. Shenzie was on her heels, and the door latched shut quietly behind them.

"No." he said, very quietly. "No, Kristine."

"See!" she burst the instant they were gone, turning to him.

Her eyes flashed just like this morning, wet with snow and so wild! Legolas blinked. Alive. Energizing. And he leaned closer. Her lips were swollen from the cold, and they were shaking and inviting now.

"That's your problem." Kris bit out as he examined her lips. " _Do_ this. Do that. You don't own me. Don't you get it? Look at you!" She struggled violently under him to get away until Legolas leaned back, letting her have some space.

A cold gust of air rushed between them and Kristy shivered. "You never _ask_ anything!" She kicked the blanket down with her good leg.

 _Ask._

"You want me to ask?" he snapped angrily. That flare in her eyes was so electrifying. It made his blood rush savagely and he felt stirred. "Is that what you want, Kristine?"

"You couldn't if your life depended on it. If you weren't a damn prince and got everything you wanted anyway, you wouldn't even survive!"

Legolas felt a sting. He shouldn't. She was upset. She wasn't thinking. But it did.

"You can't give me _one_ good reason to hate Roger, Legolas. You-" She broke off, and she struggled to get up. But instead of letting her up, Legolas shoved back and sat on his heels, pinning her legs between his muscled thighs. She glowered.

"He doesn't have your best interest in mind." He snapped suggestively. "How about that?"

"Like I should believe that?" she said, pulling uselessly. "I've known him since the eighth grade! How long have I known _you_? That's not a reason!"

 _So much for that._

"A reason? You want a reason?" And before Legolas could stop himself, he tilted his head. "What if I'm jealous?"

She stilled instantly.

"Yes." He said, feeling the anger burn hot and real. It was a relentless, cavernous fire. This tactic was satisfying. It was maddening…and satisfying. And it was working. He could tell it.

"J-jealous?" she whispered.

Legolas stared at her, breathing quickly, before hurriedly releasing her legs. He dove forward on his hands and knees and grabbed the leather rest behind her, pinning her there.

"Jealous." He tasted the word, like he tasted her. And he liked it. "Envy. Anger…jealous." he rolled the words off his tongue like a caress.

Kris couldn't breathe.

"You want one reason? How about three?"

This wasn't happening _._ Kris leaned back and lifted her chin, staring at him, trying in vain to rip her eyes from the blue, fierce gleam sparkling in those eyes. But she couldn't. They were dark, hooded. Fathomless. They were Legolas and so enchanting she couldn't breathe.

"I don't want him to have you." he whispered. Legolas lifted a hand, and his fingers shook when they stroked her. He touched her throat with his thumb, remembering how that skin tasted…warm, sweet. Gods, it was exquisite. And he imagined Roger on it. He pictured her shutting her eyes, touching him, sighing in pleasure as his tongue caressed her.

The thought made him want to kill.

"I want you." he said instead, fiercely. "F-for myself."

Kris was frozen.

"I want you now." He said, pressing closer. He was going to kiss her…seal it. Make her safe. Not out of anger, or frenzied impulse; he looked over her face, watching her eyes widen and dilate in the faint light. He whispered. "…so badly."

Kristy grimaced.

"And I'm asking." He said breathlessly.

Nothing.

"Will you let me?" Legolas crouched on his knees in front of her, waiting. And suddenly, Kristy clapped a hand over her mouth… and she sneezed.

Legolas flinched.

"I'm sorry!"

Legolas blinked. "Kris, what is wrong with you?"

And she dropped her head. "I…I'm just really cold." She admitted in a rush, breathing fast.

"You're-" he sighed.

Oh _dammit_!Of course she was cold!

Legolas felt behind himself and yanked the blanket over them both in frustration. He pushed the heat of his body up against hers and captured her face in his hand. Angry. Exasperated. He was declaring passion and she had to _sneeze._ Of course she'd sneeze.

ButLegolas felt it in her pulse and he caressed her face with his. This was how to do it. He panted uneven, shaking breaths. Yes, she was cold. But she wanted him too. He knew it now and he enveloped her body in his.

"You're really warm." She mumbled and pressed her fingers up against his chest. The heat radiated off him and she curled her hands into fists.

"Come here." He felt between their bodies and he captured her hands. Then he rifled them up his shirt and he pushed his bare chest down on her hands.

"Oh dammit." was all she choked. His chest was pure, lean muscle. His skin was so warm it burned.

"And stay there." He commanded. Legolas remembered her words, and he reworded his request. "Tell him, Kristy. I mean…please." He croaked the words out, taking a deep breath of her and pressing his mouth into her neck. Her fingers were like ice against his bare chest. Why was it so exquisite? This was a duty, not a pleasure. He _had_ to do this to protect her, to keep his friends safe. So why did he let these sensations affect him like this?

Stupid, carnal human body.

"Willyou?"

"What the hell do you want me to tell him?" she managed, as he nuzzled her neck with his cheek. His panting breaths filled the blanket; she felt it gust down her bare chest. And it made her light-headed.

Legolas felt down her body, searching for the discarded phone. "Where is it?" he said, looking down. The wave of fresh air should have helped. His senses should have cleared a little.

They didn't.

"Tell him to stay where he is. Tell him you are tired. Tell him anything!" He found the phone under her legs. He could have worked around, but he went through.

She was defiant.

"Why should I? Because _you_ want me to?" she asked. "What are you gonna do to me if I don't? Ignore me again? Shout at me?"

Legolas grimaced. He glanced over her face in the semi-dark, the hot flames lapping at her skin. It reflected in her eyes. It made her skin warm perfection. It danced on the walls like a lovers' caress.

"Kiss me." he whispered. Slowly, tentatively…he touched his mouth to hers. In the same moment his fingers curled into her thighs.

 _Shit_. Kris jolted, a sharp noise of surprise in her throat. Legolas felt between her thighs, taking his time, feeling, exploring, and felt a surge through his groin. He found the phone, but he didn't come back up. He didn't feel like it.

"I-" she whispered and he kissed the other side of her mouth, relentless, gentle. Insistent. Kristy clutched at his hair and yanked him closer, scratching the back of his neck gently. "I-I don't know what to do," she panted. "It feels like I'm dying without you. Don't you understand?"

"I understand." He said without thinking. "Let me give it to you."

It was so wrong, and he didn't care. He wasn't thinking. He was feeling. He should never have kissed her; he should never have had the freedom of this. Undercover, he groped and felt every inch of her, grabbed down between her legs so hard she lurched and kissed him more insistently.

"Your jeans are so tight." He said breathlessly. Yes, he took her hand, ran it up his back. She let him caress his tongue against hers and he delved in for more. It was a fight, a constant struggle. She pushed him away like she didn't want him. Then she was locking her leg around his hips and encouraging him to thrust his growing arousal into her belly, and he was going mad.

She clutched his back and he felt her fingers dig into his skin, then down…down lower. It hurt. And it made him work harder, into her hand, desperately searching for her throat. Gods, it felt so good. He grabbed her hand and forced himself to push his erection against it. His teeth left a dark mark in her neck and he was feeling his threads snap one…by…one… When one of his hands found her breasts the threads snapped faster. She was doing exactly what he needed with her hands and he broke away long enough to get her shirt out of the way. He tugged the neckline down under her breasts; she was panting. He stared breathlessly.

"Sweet Eru," he mumbled. "You are so..." he didn't finish. His throat seized up. _Gods._ The only thing he could do is drop and use his mouth for more useful things. Beautiful. The more fervent he became, the louder Kristy's panting got until she was whimpering and it made him wild. She arched her back into his mouth and he ground up into her so hard she let out a growl. He'd never drove a woman mad like this. This was happening. He wanted her. He was with her now, not Roger. He needed her…wanted, wanted so badly and -

And suddenly, their lovemaking came to an end.

"No!" Kris burst out and she gasped, "Stop!"

Her hand ripped out from his pants, leaving him gaping and Legolas let out a protesting yelp. He didn't mean to. But he was shaking. He pulled back with a gasp. Sweat broke off his forehead and he pulled away, letting her top half slide up again.

"I'm sorry…" Legolas choked.

He raked a hand violently through his hair.

She struggled back; Legolas looked up wild-eyed. "Damn you!" she hissed, and she clambered out from under him.

Legolas fumbled to get himself under control, unable to pursue her yet. Then he staggered off the couch and chased her. "No! Kristy, wait!" He wanted to apologize.

 _What had he done?!_ He wanted to grab her and burst that it was alright… Everything was alright. He was sorry. But she dashed into the bedroom and Legolas slammed face-first into a door.

She was swearing violently.

"Kristy!" he pounded on the door and jiggled the handle. It was locked. "Kristy, you don't understand."

"I understand perfectly." Came her voice. "Don't touch me!"

Legolas shook his head, pushing all his weight against the door. It was useless. He grimaced, before crushing his face to the cold, smooth wood. _No._ What did she think of him? That he wanted a mistress or an empty lover? It wasn't like that… It wasn't what she thought! He _knew_ it wasn't. And-and he couldn't think of what it was.

"Kristy, you have it wrong." He tried weakly, still breathing fast. His body was still in overdrive. "Please forgive me. I...I know we shouldn't. I wasn't thinking."

"Shut up! My God, just _shut_ up." She spat through the door and hit something: the bedpost. He heard it. He heard her muffled, angry noise of pain too, and he couldn't think of what to say.

He wanted to shove the door open, look at her hand and be sure it was alright. Then, he'd capture her face in his hands and stroke her hair. He'd apologize a hundred, a thousand times for instigating it. Precious thing…he wanted to cradle her in his arms and tell her how he felt.

He didn't know how long he held onto the doorframe, swaying, hoping she'd crack the door open. Hoping she'd slip into his arms and he could hold her like he'd done…so many times, living here. He didn't appreciate it. He didn't appreciate her.

It was always like this!

 _Goddammit._

Legolas grimaced, resting his head on the door.

Oh, how he longed for his woods…his world, all the time. But he was so caught up in his own world he couldn't focus on anything else: anything else _important._ He was losing her. He knew it. He was scrambling onto the last scraps of what they had and he was losing her! With his own stupidity, his issues and his games, he was pushing her away.

Legolas grimaced in agony. He appreciated the trees. He loved them, _longed_ for them with every fiber of his soul. And the sky, his memories of home, a better life… _What were they without Kristy?_ He didn't know. He didn't want to find out.

"Kristy…" he whispered softly. "…oh, Kristy. Don't do this to me. Please don't."

But she hadn't. He did it to himself and he knew it.

. . . . . .

Legolas didn't know how long he was in the hall, leaning on the doorframe. He was waiting, hoping. Minutes or hours, he didn't know. But when he was so tired and so miserable he wasn't even thinking anymore, not cursing himself, just…waiting, a snapping sound came from within.

Legolas blinked, lifting his head.

A moment later, the door unlatched and Kristy stood there. With a suitcase.

Legolas breathed, looking between them quickly. She stared straight through him as if he wasn't there! Her hair was tangled over red, swollen eyes.

Legolas reached up slowly, hesitantly, about to lift it away. But she flinched and he withdrew.

"I'm leaving." She mumbled.

"Kristy…"

She didn't move: an empty shell, a cold husk of what she was a minute or an hour ago.

"I'm going to Laura for the weekend." She said even quieter. "I can't take this anymore."

"…This?"

She dropped her head. "You."

Legolas felt his heart constrict. It was a small, sharp sting, but he didn't answer.

"I can't take you." she repeated, as if dead, breathing quietly.

"I see." He said instead.

"Tell Tauriel and Aragorn I'm sorry. I can't help them."

"I..." he trailed off, feeling hollow. _What could he say?_ What _was_ there to say?

And slowly, Legolas shifted back. He nodded a little, and let her walk slowly past. "I understand."

Kris moved past, got her coat out of the closet and put it over her arm. He couldn't stop her. He didn't want her to think he wished to.

The door was like an empty vat, going to swallow her up. Legolas knew it. And he turned, watched her leaving with a desperation that clenched in his belly. _No. Don't go!_ But she was. Kris pulled the lock open and made to walk into the dark hall.

"Kristy." He said quickly.

She froze and he hesitated. But he couldn't stop the words from pouring out of his mouth. "Don't hate me." He said passionately.

She collapsed sideways against the doorframe, as if deflated. _Oh dear, sweet Legolas…_ She squeezed her eyes shut tight. _Why_ was everything so hard? Every look, every move, every smile and warm irresistible thing he whispered…it was like torture.

Legolas strode across the room and took her by the shoulders. "You cannot walk all that way on your injury."

She didn't answer.

"Let me." He whispered gently, and when she didn't protest, he hesitantly pulled her legs out from under her.

Kris didn't complain as he carried her and the bag to the cold, windy street. It was bitterly cold out. Legolas got her to her car and set her down in the dark, wet garage. She swung the door open, fumbled with the latch as if she couldn't stand even his presence…like it did something to her, about to climb in.

"Kristy," he said and he caught her in his arms. "I'm sorry. I don't know what we were doing. Our situation it's...I-" He broke off.

Kris looked down. How could she hate him? She never told him what he meant to her. It was her fault and she knew it. She was making their relationship difficult. No, impossible.

Kristy sighed.

Legolas hesitated, before he pulled her to his chest so, so gently she could only exhale a relenting breath. Legolas enveloped her in his arms, knowing she would go to her sisters'. He didn't have to worry about Roger now, anyway…at least for a day or so. And the guilt for doing what he did to her these past two weeks crashed down on him. He didn't know what he was doing. He played a game that…that he didn't understand. No rules. No boundaries.

And worse, he didn't know what it was doing to them. He should have found a way, a different way. Not this. It was crushing them, the little time he had left here on Earth. But he knew one thing. He'd put it back together.

"I am sorry. You... are so precious, sweet thing." He forced out, flinching at his own voice. It was cracking and hoarse. He hugged her tighter. "Never doubt that."

Kris trembled against him and he rubbed her shoulders. She felt so tiny, so helpless. _How could have he done this to her?_ Deliberately pursuing her, making her want him, only to run back to Arda with his tale between his legs?

It was like a knife in his chest. It would destroy them both if she ever knew. He didn't want to be broken. He didn't want to push her away. He wanted her to be here. Always.

What a fool he'd been. He couldn't play this game!

They only had a little time left. They'd part forever. And then he'd let her go because he had to. He had to. Legolas grimaced. He stroked her back, resting his head on hers, burying his face in her hair. "I don't know what I want from us…Kristy." He whispered.

Kris started to pull away, making a suffocated noise in her throat. But he yanked her back.

"No, not like this." He kissed her hair, knotting his hands in it. "Please…"

Kristy and he lived in two different worlds. This was all they had left. And-and he wanted more.

He realized it like a crash of cold waves in his head. He wanted more, and he _couldn't_ want it! It was hopeless. Worse than hopeless: it was idiocy! Estel would find a way home; he knew it. Legolas had a _war_ to fight. It was a fight that none of them would survive. He'd breathe his last out there somewhere, some battlefield, bleeding and alone maybe… He'd never see her again!

The thought made him sick.

But he'd be…with Tauriel, for a time. That should make him happy. She was his oldest and dearest friend, after all, apart from Estel. Memory of her was like a gust of warm breeze…a time so long ago that was innocent and happy. But that's all she was, he realized. Memory, bittersweet like the lonely sound of an ocean.

Kristy was here. Kristy was _now._

Legolas opened his eyes and crunched his hands into fists, shocked.

"I love you!" he gasped out loud. In Sindarin so she wouldn't understand, he spat the words out like a curse, "Oh…how I love you, precious thing."

She held his beating heart in her hands and they were one. She made it start and made it stop. The sun rose, skimmed across the horizons, sunk in an ocean of pink and purple… for her. Legolas held her in his arms, feeling terrified and alive at the realization. The moon was her eyes and all the stars, all the chatter of his trees couldn't compare with her laugh. She was everything. She was…she was –

"- my love." He whispered.

When she pulled away and slammed the door shut, Legolas staggered back and watched the silver car disappear in the night. He saw it and it wasn't Kristy retreating to her sister for a time. It was a glimpse of what would be.

He saw the raw, open portal and felt wind. It was him, looking into wet, blue-green Kristy eyes for the last time. It was a realization that made him sink to the floor. It made him grab his knees, utterly shaken, gasping for breath.

It was coming. He could feel it. Every nerve, every fiber burned it into his bones and he knew the time was coming. He was going to say goodbye…

Legolas grabbed the wet floor. Not a memory, not an elfling crush! A love so deep and real it hurt. He was so blind! He was going to lose it. Her. Everything. And he was going to move on somehow, fight, live every day…every hour without her.

How? Eru, how?

. . . . . . .

 **A/N: ill he tell her how he feels before they go back to Middle Earth? Or can he ever be happy again when he loses her? Hehe. Tune in next week to find out. :)) Have an extraordinary weekend, please.**


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Hello all! Thank you so much for the reviews of last chapter…and for all of them, really. They keep me motivated. Even if I didn't love writing this story, they're amazing! Thank you all. They're so much fun to read, and most of all, it's so nice to hear what people think.

This update is going to be pretty close to the next one. So you can look for another chapter in a few days (…I hope). With time and some inspiration, anyway. You see, things will be getting pretty hectic in a month or so, with a new job and all (again, hopefully:) There won't be very much time for writing then, which is why I'm trying to get down as possible of this story as possible before then. Hence, the frequent updates.

So I've been going back and revising some past chapters, by the way, smoothing over rough spots and redundancies (sorry for those) and will re-post them. Also, like I mentioned before, a couple chapters to flesh out those months Legolas was here alone are coming up: it seemed a little clipped the way it is.

WickedGreene13: Wow, I think you're spoiling me! Two reviews for one update? You made my day. xD

A.D. Reese: Lol No fighting please! We have enough of that in the story, right?

REMdream: Kristy going to Middle Earth…It's not something she can do at the drop of a hat. If Legolas won't let her throwing herself into a war-torn world, disobeying him on such a grand level and throwing her life away in the process (at least in his mind) could estrange her to him completely.

\- BY THE WAY! The song that plays on the story is Kanaho's version of 'Beauty and the Beast'. Very quiet, very beautiful. :) -

. . . . .

 _When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane. - Unknown_

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

"Tell me if I'm right." Laura folded her hands, collapsed on the footstool in a fuzzy pink robe. She stared with tired, unblinking eyes. "So the guy you like-"

"No! Don't say that."

She blinked.

"I'm tired of it, alright?" Kris shook her head. "Every fifteen-year-old _pompom_ girl does this over the captain of the local footballteam: 'like'."

"Okay, 'like' on the ban list." Laura stared, "What am I supposedto use then?"

Nothing.

"Well let me get the story straight, anyway! You and this guy, Luke, started getting hot and heavy on the couch. You got scared. You ran a two hour drive by freeway to get to my house."

Kristy looked down, fidgeting, feeling ashamed. "I…I wasn't scared. I just had to get out of there, that's all."

Laura groaned, throwing her hands on her head. " _Why?_ He's cute, right? You like him?"

Kris winced.

"What's wrong?"

"It's not like that! I'm afraid he doesn't know, l-like he doesn't care what _happens_. I _know_ what will happen. He'll leave me! And I don't want that. I can't take it. I know I can't…not with him. Not again."

"Then don't let him. Simple."

"It's _not_ simple. He's…" Kristy trailed off. _He's a prince._ That's all.

She wanted to say he's a damn elf from another world. That he's a warrior and a prince. It wasn't possible for someone like him to feel like this for someone…someone like her. But she didn't.

"I have no chance with him." She said quietly. "Not anything real. He has somebody else Laurie, besides." Kris grimaced, before saying cynically. "And she's a _lot_ better suited for him. I mean she's gorgeous! A-and Le- I mean, Luke is leaving the country. He's going back with _her._ He's going into a _war_ zone. He'd never let me follow him, even if I did belong there."

"Well sorry Kris, but you don't exactly belong _here_ either! How long can you stay around our place? I have Markto take care of. And you have work."

She sighed. "Mark. Where is he, by the way?" Kris glanced around. It was good not to see him of course, but she was curious. She'd been talking to Laura for a solid hour, and it was nearing midnight.

"Asleep." Laura said, before grinning. "I tuckered him out again. Low endurance, that one."

She looked away. "Ah… right."

Laurie blew back the tangle in her face with a huff. "Okay. So you don't want to get more involved with him."

She nodded.

"But you don't want him to go either, because you think you lik-"

"Don't say it!" she hissed. It was maddening. It made her sick. Legolas wasn't someone you…liked. You loved him. You adored him, hated him. He was the center of the world, the skies, everything. Or nothing. You despised him, s _omething._ Never something so insipid as 'like'.

"So really, you're not actually mad at him." It wasn't a question.

"No." she whispered.

"Then who? Who are you so angry at?"

"Me. I'm mad at _me._ " Kris said adamantly. "That's why I'm here!"

"You're crazy."

Kristy just sighed. "I know. But I don't know what to do about it. We were such good friends, Laurie… Why did I have to do it? I went and ruined everything! And I can't do anything about it. I try. I really, really do. He's just-"

Laurie smiled sadly.

"…Everything." She whispered.

"Get some sleep, Kris."

"I couldn't sleep."

But Laura would have none of that. She got up, tossed Kris a bundle and reached to switch out the light. It was so sudden Kristy jumped, and she saw blind spots in the dark. She looked around, startled.

"Couch. Pillow. _Sleep_."

Kris sighed, trying to think of something to say, something to bring her back or explain her ridiculous, inexcusable behavior. But she couldn't. Kristy was left staring at her sister's retreating form, and the woman paused in the doorway.

"Things will be better in the morning. They always are."

Kristy disagreed, but she didn't say so. "Thanks Laura… goodnight."

"Night."

. . . . . . . .

From: Luke Smith

To: Kristine Anderson

Date: 6 January 2024 3:24 am

 _Dearest Kristine,_

 _I behaved as an imbecile last night. Animated in part by worry, in part by your beauty, and in part by my own foolish pride, I was… for lack of a better word: stupid. I am profoundly sorry. Please accept this apology. Will you come home?_

.

Kris cracked her eyes open and the first thing she noticed was the couch. She was crumpled up in it, and she drew her knees to her chest, shivering on the cold leather. It was around ten o'clock in the morning, Sunday. Mark and Laurie were in bed.

And then, a gnawing crawled up her belly and she grimaced. _Breakfast._

With all last night's happenings, she never did get to eat. And she sat up with a huff, looking around the house in daylight. Warm sunlight drank through the shades and it made her feel better somehow, peering up: the creamy walls, flat-screen, the bookcase in the corner. More subdued. More content.

So Kristy was part-way through a bowl of cereal when she noticed the 'alert' light on her phone. She wanted to ignore it, sitting at Laura's kitchen counter, eating and staring through the bright windows, letting the silence seep inside and settle her over-tossed emotions.

It could be Corby getting back to her. She didn't want to talk about work. Then again, it could be Alice…and she certainly didn't want to talk to her. But why would either text her? Why not call?

Finally she couldn't stand it and she flipped it on. It was an email, not a text message. She blinked.

 _Legolas._ Kris whipped her eyes over the message in surprise, and then again more slowly. Legolas.

He sent this? An apology letter? Via _email_?

Kristy couldn't think of a reply. She knew she shouldn't at all. It was just stirring the fire, making things worse. And she needed a break from him if she was going to let go, a day or two at least! It was too hard this way. She shouldn't even talk to him… Not at all. But she couldn't resist.

From: Kristine Anderson

To: Luke Smith

Date: 7 January 10:45 am

 _I didn't know you had an email account._

She went back to eating, expecting that to be an answer good enough. But fifty seconds later, to her further shock, a bleep came from her phone and there appeared text.

From: Luke Smith

To: Kristine Anderson

Date: 7 January 10:46 am

 _I made one. Is that a yes?_

 _._

From: Kristine Anderson

To: Luke Smith

Date: 7 January 10:48 am

 _That's an 'I didn't know you had an email account.'_

 _._

From: Luke Smith

To: Kristine Anderson

Date: 7 January 10:49 am

 _Oh._

A few minutes passed. Kristy glanced into the living room. Laura stumbled out of the bedroom, carrying a bundle of clothes to the bathroom, and on the way past the doorway, waved cheerily. Kristy just smiled a little, before glancing down.

From: Kristine Anderson

To: Luke Smith

Date: 7 January 10:55 am

 _I got your letter, by the way. And I don't know what goes in your world, but around here, and to me, flattery doesn't get you anywhere._ \- She smiled. Ha _._ So there. That would make him leave her alone.

.

From: Luke Smith

To: Kristine Anderson

Date: 7 January 10:46 am

 _Flattery how, dearest Kristine?_

.

Kris frowned, before typing.

From: Kristine Anderson

To: Luke Smith

Date: 7 January 10:51 am

 _I mean 'beautiful' is not something you call a girl like me. Models are beautiful. Guys call girls like me 'hot' if they wanna give a compliment. Be nice, not a sycophant just to get what you want, whatever in God's name that is. And I'm eating breakfast, so please leave me alone._

Legolas sat on the balcony, staring at the laptop screen. And writing what he had to say was helpful. He didn't have to face those piercing Kristy eyes this way, and his tongue wouldn't cleave to the roof of his mouth and it wouldn't go dry. He could say precisely what he wanted to so badly say.

From: Luke Smith

To: Kristine Anderson

Date: 7 January 11:02 am

' _Hot' connotes a sexual longing. Despite what it appeared the other night, I find more than your body attractive, Kristine. Beautiful connotes more than that: such as mind, spirit, presence. Therefore you are beautiful._

Kristy groaned, raking a hand through her hair and staring at the screen. He didn't just say that. _Why_ did he play these games? For surely they had to be… What else? Could he really think that? For _her_? He was an elf, used to supermodel she-elves and warrior girls, for God's sake.

From: Kristine Anderson

To: Luke Smith

Date: 7 January 11:05 am

 _You said Galadriel was beautiful! Tauriel's beautiful. You said that elf girl you're 'betrothed' to is beautiful. Those aren't me. I'm not like them and you know it._

It took longer than she expected for his reply. She thought he'd quip out some retort, some compliment that rolled off his tongue like quick-silver. Like the last weeks, as if deliberately playing with her, toying with her. But somehow, for how long it took, she imagined him typing each slow…reluctant, agitated key. And another five minutes hovering over the 'send' button.

From: Luke Smith

To: Kristine Anderson

Date: 7 January 11:15 am

 _That is what I adore about you, Kristy_.

.

From: Kristine Anderson

To: Luke Smith

Date: 7 January 11:16 am

 _I'm not yours. And you don't adore me._

Her answer was immediate. Legolas grimaced in frustration, and he used two fingers to slam out.

From: Luke Smith

To: Kristine Anderson

Date: 7 January 11:18 am

 _It has taken me long enough to thrust down the fool who couldn't see it in myself. I do not need you to whisper lies in my ear, too!_

Kristy scanned her eyes over the words one, twice…three times. _God. He was serious._ He wasn't joking. He couldn't be! What then. He meant it? _Legolas?_ This fight conflicting in him was real?

And she sent stupidly:

From: Kristine Anderson

To: Luke Smith

Date: 7 January 11:20 am

 _I don't know what to say._

.

From: Luke Smith

To: Kristine Anderson

Date: 7 January 11:20 am

 _Say nothing. Come home. Tonight._

Kris shook her head.

From: Kristine Anderson

To: Luke Smith

Date: 7 January 11:25 am

 _I'm sorry Legolas. I really am. And even when I do, if I do tonight or any other night, I mean this: I won't speak of what happened. Agreed?_

From: Luke Smith

To: Kristine Anderson

Date: 7 January 11:27 am

 _I cannot agree to that. We have to speak of it, else I fear you will stew on it. It will become a nail driven between us and we won't go near that place again, a place anywhere near lovemaking. And I want to. I know you. And I know you will let your own self-doubt, guilt, or childish temper tamper with your true feelings. We_ have _to talk of it._

Kristy glared, staring at the screen. _Childish temper? Self-doubt?_ And a minute later, a second message appeared.

From: Kristine Anderson

To: Luke Smith

Date: 7 January 11:29 am

 _Please? Please try. That is all I ask, Kristy. When you wish to stop, or when you've had enough discussion, I will stop immediately. I swear. Please?_

Kris wrote down in a flurry: _The_ minute _I want to stop?_

From: Luke Smith

To: Kristine Anderson

Date: 7 January 11:32 am

 _I swear it upon my honor. The honor of my house. Again I ask you. Can you come home? Tonight?_

She didn't know why she sent it, but she did:

From: Kristine Anderson

To: Luke Smith

Date: 7 January 11:33 am

 _It's a two hour drive and I'm tired. I'll spend the night here. Maybe tomorrow._

She was breathing a little faster when she sent it… A few minutes later, all that appeared was:

From: Luke Smith

To: Kristine Anderson

Date: 7 January 11:36 am

 _I miss you._

And Kristy's heart sank…or melted, she wasn't sure.

. .

"Kris!" A voice came from the hall outside.

Kristy didn't answer. She just stared at her half-empty bowl of cereal. The Cheerios looked so pathetic, drifting around the bowl like that. The woman shoved them away, staring wearily out the kitchen windows.

"Oh there you are." Laura said, yanking a fluffy belt tied around her waist. Her black hair was shiny and damp in the morning light: their mother's hair. Kris glanced up reluctantly, and she caught a glimpse of herself in the toaster. Too little sleep did that to you.

She peered closer.

Kris took more after their father in looks, she thought, running a hand through her hair: blonde, so dark blonde it was close to brown. It was a soft color, a warm shade, but it suited her. Legolas seemed to think so, anyway. Sometimes, she thought he liked touching it. Maybe he liked her hair the way it was…

"I'm thinking of dying my hair red." Kris muttered spontaneously.

Laura laughed, pouring herself coffee and cereal. "You? Red? That'd be hilarious."

Kristy let out a deep, tired sigh. "Yeah…maybe you're right. I'd look like a hooker."

Laura laughed harder. "Yeah!" she gasped, "Yeah, pretty much."

And Kris looked up in surprise as Mark walked in.

"-Hey hon."

The smile threatened to drain from her face a moment, but she forced it back on. It stayed there. Mark grabbed Laurie from behind and kissed the nape of her neck.

"Hey Mark." Kristy said, avoiding the eyes.

"Yo, Krissy!" He leaned over the counter and ruffled her hair. "How's my favorite sister-in-law? So is this just a pit-stop to mom's place, or is sister-shoulder tough enough for the tears?"

Laurie jabbed him in the side. "Ey!" and she glanced back at Kristy. "He's just a smartass. Don't listen to him, Kris. And stay however long you like."

Kristy smiled slightly, sliding the rumpled hair behind her ears… And she wondered if it was a bad choice coming here. Morning light made things so much more embarrassing. She could have gone to Alice's, she supposed… But a drunk co-worker with a boyfriend staying over just wasn't the same thing.

"I'm not crying, for your information. And I'm used to it, Laurie. Rog's always kidding around too." She said softly.

And at that, Laurie started. "Roger? Roger Tenly?"

Kris nodded.

Rog was an old friend of the family ever since they were children, really. It was a little shocking she didn't know he was back. "But he was overseas, last time we talked."

"Oh yeah!" Kris shuffled up higher on the stool. "But he's back now. They recalled a lot of the troops to handle the situation here in the states, you know. Didn't you hear?"

"No! I didn't know!" she laughed then, before biting eagerly into a sugared bagel. "Have you seen him? How is he?"

"Yeah…he," Kris glanced down. "He's great. And he's really anxious to catch up, actually. We've been kind of going out."

Laurie blinked. "What?"

"You know… dinner a few times, that's all. Nothing serious, don't worry."

"Dinner, like dinnerdinner?"

Kristy shook her head. "Yeah. So?"

And she narrowed her eyes. "You don't…like him, do you?"

"Yeah, I like him." Kristy agreed, before saying suspiciously. "Notice I use the word 'like', though. And what's wrong with that?"

She blinked. "Kris, Roger's gay. You know that right?"

And the world…that whirling, busy, never-stopping place…stopped.

"You-you didn't know?" Laurie asked again.

Kristy let go of the counter. "Um…what?"

"He's got a steady boyfriend!" she half-laughed, shaking her head. "Didn't you know? I don't think 'going out' is exactly the right words for you guys, Krissy."

"But…" Kristy recoiled, thinking over every look, every movement, every flirtatious glance. And she was panicking. Kris wasn't serious for him, of course. Neither was he. But…but why would he even pretend? He had someone? It didn't make sense!

"But that's impossible." She protested.

"Sorry, Kris. He really should have told you, you know." Laurie laughed uncomfortably. "But Donna showed me a picture from just a few weeks ago. They were in Iraq. I doubt things have changed much since last November."

Kristy slowly narrowed her eyes, thinking. Thinking hard. She was screwed. Oh, screwed so bad!

"Shit…" She said very, very quietly. And pieces began falling into place.

She was going home. Tonight. And tomorrow, the day after, maybe the day after that…she was going to find out exactly what 'Roger' had up his sleeve. But right now, all she wanted to do was talk to Legolas.

. . . . . . . .

Kristy came home expecting…well, she wasn't sure what she was expecting. But as she came down the apartment hall, huffing exhaustedly, carrying a bag of work and her suitcase, thinking over all that she'd learned today, a feeling of apprehension came over her.

She reached the door: #99.

The first thing that struck her, when she came inside…was the dark. She blinked fast, glancing around. It was a little late, nine-thirty maybe. The Christmas lights sent faint, dazzling sparks of tiny light over the walls. Firelight lapped at the floor, warm and gentle. An acoustic guitar played quietly on the stereo. Peaceful. Romantic.

"Estel?" she whispered softly, a little dazed. _Candles._

They littered the couch-side, table, the shelves, the dark TV stand. Everywhere. They blinked and glowed in the dark. Curtains pulled away, the distant city filled the bay window. Firelight reflected off the expanse of glass, yellow on black, like candles on the water…drifting.

"Hello."

She looked up, still frozen.

"H-hi…" she managed weakly, absolutely stunned.

Legolas smiled at her, standing where she hadn't even noticed him. He was so quiet, hands folded in front of him. He lolled his head to the side, smiling at her.

"What do you think?"

"I…" she couldn't even finish. It felt like-like she was in another place. This couldn't be her messy apartment. "Is that…Beauty and the _Beast_?" was all she managed. It was such a stupid thing to say. But the song was a quiet guitar and it was so beautiful.

Legolas smiled wider. "Yes."

Kristy couldn't even answer. She shuffled forward, looking around, one foot in front of the other. Somewhere in the back of her head, she realized Legolas crossed the room to shut the door behind her. It made her want to turn and look at him, see what he was doing, fidget…something. But she didn't.

Very quickly, Kris regretted messaging him. She told him she was coming, and she wished she hadn't. She just had to talk about Roger.

"Where's Aragorn? And-and Tauriel?" she turned around, dropping her bags on the floor. Legolas frowned a little, and she glanced down, surprised. Quickly she kicked them into the corner. And he smiled just as gently.

"They are downstairs. They wanted some…space."

Kristy struggled to focus. It was so hard. "S-space?"

"Because we are together." Legolas said. It was something she couldn't ignore, or couldn't disregard: like every word he murmured meant more. Like every breath was a message meant just for her, hidden, secret, just waiting to be found.

Kris didn't know why, but the most terrifying feeling that this wasn't an accident struck her. _Why?_ Why would Legolas arrange it? She didn't want to be alone with him again, not tonight.

"How was your day?"

"I…" she looked around, sighing heavily, and the words spilled out without realizing. It was second nature. She told Legolas these things. It was how it was supposed to be. At least…at least before. "I-I'm really tired. Um, I didn't sleep much last night, and I talked a long time on the phone with Corby today."

"Tell me." He offered, walking closer.

Kris almost edged backward, but she didn't. Not quite. She didn't know how to talk to him about anything else, so she jumped on the topic change and said in a rush.

"W-well Corby's agreed to let me run the store while he's gone." She said as he approached. "And I think I can manage. I'm gonna try. And-and I'm gonna ask Alice to take on some more hours, so…so hopefully I can manage." She repeated in a mumble. She wanted to tell him about Roger, but the words stuck in her throat.

"Why didn't you tell him no?" He protested. "That is too much responsibility for you at a time like this, Kristine."

"I can't. I mean, I need the money." Kristy clapped a hand over her eyes. It was an expression of weariness, but really she couldn't look at him. "I _want_ the job. It's just today that was so bad. Nothing went right. And _Roger_ , he-he-"

"And be quiet, Kristine."

She blinked.

"Ssh." He repeated, coming up behind. "Be quiet now. Don't speak of him."

Kris frowned, about to turn around. But hands on her back stopped her. She opened her mouth to talk, about to protest, but a gentle squeezed stopped that thought. "I-"

"Do you like it?" he asked into her ear, and he started to knead her shoulders. He did it slowly. His thumbs dug gently between her shoulder blades, and with warm, experienced hands, he began massaging her neck.

"It's lovely." She breathed honestly. And so was the feeling…beyond lovely. It was exquisite.

"And this? How does this feel?"

"Um, it's…nice." She admitted.

"I thought so." He murmured softly.

"What is it?" she said, reaching back for his hands. She meant to stop him, gently. But it didn't work that way. She ended up touching him, grazing his knuckles as he moved.

"You mean the candles?" he whispered.

She could have sworn his voice was closer that time. She ignored it. "Everything. What's the occasion? Is this your version of an apology?"

"No apology. No more apologies." He said. And then he whispered more urgently. "Go take a warm bath, Kristy. You will feel better. Then come back."

"Back?" she said warily.

"Yes." He stilled his hands, and tugged gently on one side so she turned to half face him.

"What if I don't want to?" she asked.

And he smiled. "Just come back to me, Kristy."

 _Come back to me…_

Oh, why did he have to say that? Kristy stared, torn, acutely aware of his nearness. She felt every breath he took, felt every whisper of touch as his fingers lingered down her arms. He stared down at her with such an expression in his eyes…longing. Hope.

"To talk about the other night?" she whispered.

"If you like. If you like, I will explain everything."

"We'll see."

He smiled a real, glowing smile. "Then we'll see."

"Okay." She relented, glancing up at him. She was absolutely unsure of what she was doing.

Legolas let her go with an affectionate squeeze and a smile. That was all.

Kris rushed into the bathroom with her clothes and cleaned up with hot, steaming water. She wanted to stay in there, inside the locked room. But she couldn't do that to him. She was suddenly so flustered, so nervous, her hands shook violently in everything she did…washing her hair, toweling it, scrubbing every inch of her skin until it was pink and raw.

It didn't help. She still remembered what he felt like. She couldn't _forget_.

Legolas paced back and forth outside, clasping and unclasping his fingers. He didn't know what he was doing. A part of him felt so guilty…letting this go on. But he wasn't playing now. Surely it was not wrong to appreciate the time he had left with her?

Kristy came back much sooner than he thought. He thought she'd hide in the locked door for half an hour! But she didn't. Legolas turned, fully intending to pace another round… and she was there.

Kris crept into the living room, stiff, forcing each step, glancing around. The room was just as beautiful, justas infectious the second time. It smelled of scented, burning candles and the same quiet…romantic, guitar played. It was so wrong. Her insides screamed at her to back away, pulling her shoulders up defensively. But she didn't. She inched closer and closer until Legolas, staring at her, finally snapped and strode over.

"Come on." He grinned breathlessly. "Dance with me."

She jumped. "What? Oh, no please. You promised. I don't want to! I-"

"Come on." Legolas urged, and he pulled her hand back. "Please, Kristy. Let me talk to you. Let me explain."

"Then explain." She said faster than she meant. "You don't have to _dance_ to explain you b-being a complete anomaly to me."

"But I do." He disagreed adamantly. And he stepped forward. Legolas' fingers slid around her waist, splayed in the small of her back so he could feel how her spine trembled. It made the last of his hesitation vanished. Gods…she felt good here. "Dance with me."

She was so stiff, so furiously distressed it was more like leaning this way and that… But it was something. Legolas tried with all his might to loosen his muscles. Her hand was on his shoulder and she could feel every twitch, every excited, halting breath he took.

"You can explain." She said quietly, once the song began to replay. It was so quiet, so subdued he almost missed it.

"The room? My actions the other night? Or a simple desire to dance with you?"

"Everything." She said a little stronger, suddenly wanting to know. "…and-and you can start with how you know how to drive, for God's sake."

 _Oh, that was easy._ Legolas shifted so they edged in front of the fire's light. Their shadows spilled down the floor, filling it, basking in warm light. "I've driven your car in the parking lots whenever you shop. I thought it fair compensation for coming with you."

She blinked. "Oh."

Well that was that.

Legolas saw the nervous twitch that she did with her mouth again, and it meant she was becoming less flustered. This was good. "…Well I shop a lot more now you know, than for when it was just Shenzie and me."

Legolas smiled. "And you see, it's simple."

"Simple nothing." She glanced up and down, a little darkly. "Nothing about you is simple. Like why the candles?"

 _And here it was._ Still, this wasn't the worst question she could have asked. She could have asked, _Why are you holding me so tight?_ And Legolas would just have to smile harder.

"I…know how hard things have been." He admitted softly.

She didn't answer.

"Kristy," Legolas said, watching her eyes lift. They reflected in the firelight, warm and bright, glowing blue-green. And dancing so pathetically, so nonexistent, he carefully slipped his hand out of hers. He reached to touch the damp, smooth hair falling in her eyes. "…You don't know how much you've hurt me." He confessed in a whisper.

"You?" she blinked. All the days, the looks, the weeks since his friends arrived came crashing down and she hissed a short, jolting breath through her teeth. "I've hurt _you?_ "

"Yes."

"How-how dare you-"

"No!" he shook his head, giving up dancing altogether. He captured her face instead, and slid through her hair. He felt the glossy sheen in his fingers, the soap residue, smelled the scent of it. "No. I forbid it! No more fighting. Please."

Kristy pressed her lips together defiantly. And suddenly a horrid, angering prick stung her eyes and she wanted to shrug his hands off. _No._ And she succeeded. She stayed absolutely still.

"I want us to be…us, again. I want us to be friends. At least I can have that." He said, and he drew his arm around her waist more tightly. He stroked her face with his thumb. "Remember?"

Kristy pressed her eyes shut tight. The shaking lump in her throat grew and she tried to swallow it. The last time he held her like this…said things like this, he confessed. He _admitted_ who he was, who he loved, what he cared about. He said it was Tauriel. Dear…precious Tauriel. She knew what it meant. It meant he wanted home; he still wanted home. She'd been fooling herself when she thought he could be happy here. She already knew that.

"Kristy, I am so sorry." He whispered in a rush. "I've been such a fool. I know I upset you the other night. Can't we at least… have a reprieve?"

"A reprieve?" she laughed out finally, and her voice cracked. "We're not fighting, Legolas, because of you. Don't kid yourself. It's not your fault. You can't help it you're an arrogant arse! And you can't help you're a man."

Legolas eyes widened.

"It's me." She spilled out. "Yes! Yes, I know very well. And you know it too! I can't stand you. I can't stand _looking_ at you." she began to pull away, but he grabbed on tighter. She didn't fight hard, and soon, enveloped in his arms…she hissed through her teeth and buried her face in his chest. "It's me, Legolas."

Legolas was left staring at the glimmering window in surprise.

"Why did you let him pursue you, Kristine?" he asked. The memory still angered him, even now. He shouldn't ask, but he wanted to. Even now, he didn't know if she wanted him. Maybe she was thinking of him at this very moment!

"It's my fault." She took in a battered, quivering breath in answer. "I can't stand you. That's why I did it… I wanted Roger. I wanted him to _help_ me."

"I can help you." the words spilled out of his mouth before he could stop. He didn't know if they were talking about the same thing anymore. He should be quiet. He shouldn't say anything! He couldn't be the one to keep her together. If he was, when he was gone…she'd fall apart.

But he had to. It was _him_ who did this to her. She was just fine before he came into her life and ruined things!

"No you can't. I don't want you to." She hit his chest pathetically, sighing. He stared, dumbfounded, and he drew her closer until she shuffled up under his chin.

"Do you hate me?" he dared ask _. How could you hate me when I love you so?_

Kristy stilled on the intake. He felt her lungs expand under his hands, in surprise, and after a minute…she let it out with. "I don't know!" she threw her head back and looked up at him. "Y-you've always been an arrogant bi-"

"Don't say it." he snapped, a little irritated. "I know what you mean."

"I don't." she confessed, still hanging onto him. She turned her face away, sniffing, hiccupping. "I just don't think I can handle you." She said adamantly. "You…" Oh, why pretend? Why keep it up?

But she did. She refused to tell the man…elf _,_ prince, whichever he was _…_ a word more. She was already flustered. She already couldn't stand these useless feelings. Why burden himwith them, too?

"You think he is the man for you?" he asked instead. Instantly, he softened his voice. "He is not. Oh, Kristine…he's not! I see. I see it all now. Can't you?"

She started to pull away, but again he tugged her back. "That's just it. I don't need you telling me who I w-want, who I can and can't have. You might have been right about Roger, I don't know yet. But I don't need you, Legolas. You gotta know that! I _can't_ need you."

"But you do." he dared. And she blinked. Kristy stared at him …not at his words, but the fierce, protective smolder that shot through his eyes. "You do need me."

"No-"

"You do." He pressed more softly, and he kissed her forehead furiously hard, so hard he had to hold her face in his hands. And then, he kissed more gently. "In some way or another, you need me Kristy. Just tell me…tell me?"

She couldn't. She was going to lose him. If not when Tauriel re-captured his eyes, his thoughts, his heart…when he went home. He _had_ to go home. And if he didn't, he'd never be content. It could never work. He was hundreds…maybe thousandsof years old. _Why should he care?_

Kristy grimaced.

Why _would_ he love you? And there _._ She said the word. Yes. Love. There it was. Why would he? Why would he possibly? _How_ could he possibly?

He couldn't.

"Let us have a reprieve." He murmured. Kristy looked up, burning, bleary eyes wet and sore. "You are tired. We both are."

Legolas started to turn away.

"I love you." Kris said quietly.

Legolas froze.

She stared at his back. "I love you more than anything. I won't... I-I'm not _in_ love with you. I..." she bit her tongue.

She wouldn't risk the difference between the two. He'd look at her with shock, utter shock and maybe…maybe _scorn_. She cursed herself for admitting it. She'd rather suffer in silence! And now Roger was gone too. Her strong, doting, genuine Roger who she thought could distract her. Who she thought could take her away, make her forget how much it hurt. But he couldn't. And he was playing games too.

Kristy took a deep breath, looking at Legolas. When he went home, somehow, when he left to spend the rest of his life with people she'd never know…with enough years, enough setting suns, she'd forget about him. Yes, she could do that. She had to.

Or she'd die trying.

A tiny smile tugged at his lips. "As a brother?"

She stared at his chest. Then she shook her head guiltily.

"I know." He whispered.

Kris moved forward and held his face, before reaching on tip toes to kiss him. She slid her arms around his neck and he didn't pull away. To her further shock, he tilted his head and pushed into it, flicking his tongue between her teeth and kissing with a slow, warm passion.

"Wait." Legolas broke off and strode away, and when he'd snuffed the last candle with a finger, she pulled herself back into his chest. Yes. They could have a reprieve. Kris felt Legolas dropping down in the deep, leather couch on his back and she was pulled down after him. She knew it like in a daze.

She pulled back and unbuttoned his shirt. He didn't say anything, just staring at her in utter wonder and shock. He didn't resist when she pulled it off.

He murmured with a twitching grin, "Are you seducing me?"

She sat on his stomach, tilting her head. "I hadn't thought that far ahead." she leaned forward, planting her palms flat on his chest. "Do you want me to?"

He drew in a deep, shuddering breath. Her shorts were thin and so was her top. He looked at her dark, muscled body in the dark and found himself admiring it.

"As much as I would..." he reached up, and as if he were in someone else's body, someone who was so close to this creature on top of him that without realizing, he could do anything and she'd understand. He held her waist in his hands. Exquisite. He felt closer to her than he ever had before, open and vulnerable beneath her. "...desire to, I do not wish to defile you in any way. Especially in the...situation we're in. I would feel dishonored, shaming you in such a way."

"I understand." she said softly, still looking at him. She grinned a little though, and a little nervously. She slid her fingertip up and down his abdomen. "Turn over." Of course he obeyed. She started kneading his shoulders, massaging the knots in his back.

Legolas' eyes rolled back in his head. Gods, he'd miss this.

They sat in companionable silence for awhile, Legolas slowly relaxing into the cushions until he felt like liquid. And then her palm stopped under his shoulder blade, feeling his heart beat. The thought struck her that this heart would beat long after hers did. He'd go home, live his immortal life, and he'd be forever.

Legolas felt her hands still, and he shuffled around onto his back, looking at her.

"Oh Legolas…" she breathed, crawling up to lay on his chest. Legolas rubbed her back in slow, soothing circles.

"I am here." He murmured just as soft.

 _For now._

Kris inhaled deeply, and pushed herself up a little. She stared into the gleam of his eyes. She thought about the years he wouldn't spend with her. She thought about how long it would be until he forgot her completely…until she was just a distant, painful memory that he wantednever to have.

"Will you forget me?" Kristy suddenly slipped out, staring gloomily at her hands.

Legolas looked at her. "What?"

"Will you _forget_ me?" She repeated in a hollow whisper. So long a time passed…she thought he might've fallen asleep.

But he wasn't.

And he didn't need to plan. He didn't have to plot it, or what her reaction would be. "Never."

"Well you'll want to." She muttered.

Kris held herself with one arm, the other around Legolas' waist. She looked at the apartment in the dark. It was a nice apartment, as far as apartments go… and she scrubbed her eyes. But it was crummy.

"You hate this place. If you ever get back to that magic, leafy woods…you won't want to remember it." she pulled her lips between her teeth, bit down, and then mumbled. "I don't blame you."

And Legolas touched her chin with a fingertip. "I will not forget you." he whispered more firmly.

"But the years…" she said quietly, so hushed in the dark. "So many years will pass. It'll fade. _I'll_ fade. I'll think about you every single day a-and when I'm gone, when there's nothing left-" her voice cracked; she hiccuped a sniff. "Y-you'll look back and all you'll see is just a bump in the road where we were."

Legolas was about to protest…but something made him stop. He was going to say he'd never find another like her. He'd remember this crummy little apartment and the noisy neighbors. He'd remember the tyrannical landlady stomping down the hall, the city lights. He'd remember walking through noisy traffic and icy sidewalks with the wind in his face, bitter and icy, fresh and invigorating. He'd remember swinging Kristy's warm hand in the cold, and fluffy snowflakes on his face. He'd remember the taste of her lips in the cold and there was an ache in his chest.

No. He'd never forget that. He didn't want to.

But he wouldn't say it.

Kris stared into the dark, waiting for something, anything…But it didn't come.

He didn't know what to say.

. . . . . . .

 _Tauriel, please be awake._

Kris thought it over and over. She had to talk to the captain, and she had to do it tonight. _Please be awake._

With all that psychic persuasion on her side, one would think luck could be on her side for once. But fate was a cruel witch with no sympathy. As she crept into Reiner's apartment, Tauriel was on her back on a naked couch, just a single blanket enveloping her…sound asleep.

"Tauriel." Kris whispered faintly. "Tauriel, please wake up."

She didn't stir right away. It took a touch to her arm for the captain to jolt upright and with a muffled gasp, reached blindly for a knife.

"No!" Kristy grabbed her hand, "No, no, it's okay. It's just me."

"Kristine." She hissed, eyes wide in the dark, breathing fast. "What in Manwe's name are you doing?"

"I need to talk to you." she said adamantly. "Now."

"I…what? What about? What is it?"

"Where's Estel?" she asked instead of answering. "In there?" she nodded to the closed bedroom door.

Tauriel nodded mutely, wrapping a long coil of auburn hair around her wrist to keep it back. "Yes…but why? Something is wrong. Tell me."

"I just need to ask you something." Kris said in a hushed whisper.

The rustle of shifting blanket pulled up with her legs and the captain stared at her intently. "Tell me."

"I…I," and Kristy froze up.

 _Well, that's just great._ Now that she was here, in the middle of the damn night and finally ready to talk, she felt like a fool. "I need you to help me understand him...Legolas, I mean. I-I just can't _._ I mean I thought I _knew_ him! I've lived with him for months, every single day. I… guess I don't."

Tauriel nodded slowly, staring at her in the queerest way. Warily.

Kris slowly leaned back, staring into the dark. "I've woken up to him, talked to him, eaten breakfast with him for…for more than three months now. I know it doesn't sound like a long time, at least not to you, but it feels like all my life. I thought I understood him. I thought I _knew_ him. But now…"

"But now?"

Kris slowly dropped her eyes, staring at her knees. "Now I think not even he does."

Tauriel exhaled softly, staring at her from the corner of her eyes. "What is it that you wished to ask, Kristine?"

 _And there it was._ Ever since the strange, silent elf-captain arrived, the question Kristy had thought on, mulled over, rolled over and over in her head. Now was the time to ask…if she ever was.

"Do you," she asked very quietly. "do you love him?"

And to her shock, a sharp crack of muted laughter burst from Tauriel. And she threw her head back.

Kris blinked.

"I?" she mouthed. "Do _I_?" and she wiped her eyes in mirth. "Oh Kristine…"

"What's so funny?" Kris asked, glancing over the captain's face in anger. She had no right to laugh about something so deadly serious! And despite the fury and the hard shell she wanted to lift, Kris felt a sting of hurt. "His heart isn't a plaything you can toss around." She spat without thinking. "Dammit. He _loves_ you."

And still, Tauriel chuckled. "Kristine…I apologize. I did not mean to offend."

"I'm not offended." She said fiercely.

"You know him better than I. Surely you see his situation. Are you really so baffled?" Tauriel curled her fingers and leant closer to Kris in earnest.

"What do you mean?"

"Legolas and I were friends a…long time ago." She said quietly. "But I loved another; he knew that. When he departed from me, my heart went with him. But Legolas is a child of the trees. His heart is in the woods."

Kristy shook her head. "What does that have to do with this?"

"Everything." Tauriel whispered.

"But…but Legolas told me he loves you. When you arrived, he was ecstatic! He was a different person, w-with Aragorn and you, it's like he wants nothing more."

"But he does." She disagreed softly. "He has lived too long in a city of steel and men. When Estel and I came for him, his passion for our homeland awoke with vigor. He cannot stay here, Kristine. Even if not for the fate of Arda on Estel and his shoulders, their lives, their very choices, he could never remain here."

"I know." Kristy said. "And I _know_ he loves you, too. I just don't know what he's doing, what's wrong with him now. It's like he doesn't want to hurt me, or-or guilt for wanting to go home so much. I don't know! He acts so…so strange."

"He is in love with his home." She shook her head very slowly, as if it was obvious. "You see, Kristine, he is my elder in years. But I have seen much since leaving the Greenwood those years ago. I have learned to live by thought and reason, and not blindly by feelings. My heart feels empty within me, and this is only what has kept me from sailing to Western Lands. _Legolas_ however…"

She closed her eyes, inhaling a long, deep breath. It was a sigh, as if a distant memory of when things were better, more alive. And she smiled faintly, a rare thing. "He is in love with a memory, Kristine, with what should be his. What you saw when we came here, and could not fathom, was Legolas reborn as he _should_ be. This human flesh weakens us, dulls our senses and mutes the song of what we most love. It helped him remember some of that, upon seeing us. That is all."

Kristy stared at her, lips parted. Of course…it all made sense. Why he couldn't master his feelings, why things were so hard. So difficult for him, and why Kristy couldn't see him, pin him down. "He's in love with his homeland." she whispered. It wasn't a question. "And now that he has you, and-and Estel, he remembers. _Really_ remembers. He wants home more than anything! And-and he feels guilty for leaving me here. He doesn't want to hurtme. He-he-"

Tauriel shook her head again, "Kristine! Do you not see?" she turned to face her for the first time. "Perhaps Estel does, I know not. I am barely acquaintance with the man. But he is that, a man. He cannot understand the Eldar way."

"What do you mean?"

"The Eldar are born to give their heart to _one_ , Kristine. One love. One life. One home. It is how we are. Don't you see? And Legolas…he is sundered! Torn in two. It's unnatural."

"You mean with this world? This crummy joint?" Kris scoffed derisively. "What's so great about this place?"

"Not this _place._ You."

"I…" she blinked. "what?"

" _You_ , Kristine." She said. "He is in love with his homeland and his people. He tries desperately to go back to them, in _heart_ if not in body. He is half-Sylvan and one with the Greenwood. But he is also in love with you, Kristine."

Kris blinked.

"I seethe way he looks at you." Tauriel whispered adamantly, as if a dam broke and she was tired of keeping it in. "Estel worries desperately for him. Legolas is a still madman when you are apart, even if he admits it to no one."

"But-but it's the greenwood, home. It's you." she said, feeling dazed and lost. "It's _you_. When I told him I... he, I mean I thought it was because you-"

"It was never me." She said almost angrily. "I love another. He is lost to me, but my heart is with him still!"

Kris could just shake her head, pulling away. "No. Y-you're wrong."

Tauriel looked at her with a sharpness that made Kristy flinch. She slid off the couch and stumbled, backing away. _Was she right?_ Was Tauriel a figment of home. A memory? That's it? Of when he was young and whole, when his heart wasn't being ripped in two?

No. She was wrong. Legolas was a prince. He was an elf and hundreds, no- _thousands_ of years old. He didn't love her. Nothing in a world like this could make him regret leaving.

And with her mind reeling, Kristy shut the door behind her and didn't look back.

. . . .

. . . .

 **A/N: … …Oh, you mean you weren't gonna leave a review? *sniff* Well you must have heard how we just loathe reviews around here! We hate em'. Can't stand the things, muse and I.**

 **:)) Take care all.**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Well, it was supposed to be up days ago, but I'm not kidding. I wrestled and fought with this one until I re-wrote it two or three times. I think I finally got it right now. x)**

 **Guest: Happy you enjoyed it. And thank you for reviewing!**

 **Dreamer: Ouch…a dose of the poison? I hope you're not too mad at Legolas to forgive him! He's really not a bad bloke after all. Lol**

 **REMdream: She's not a very significant character, but I'm glad you liked Laurie. :))**

. . . . . . . .

 _Remember…today is just the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. - Unknown_

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Legolas woke up to the smell of bacon frying. He cracked his eyes open, looking around blearily for the source, and he noticed Kristy wasn't in his arms. Legolas glanced down in surprise to the empty spot where she was cuddled all night. She must have been gone for some time too… He'd grown cold without her.

And another gust of that smell wafted to his nostrils and he looked to the kitchen with a furious blink. _Breakfast._

Bless you, Kristy.

Legolas splashed through a shower and washed his hair, pulled on a black V-neck hoodie, and came out into the kitchen. Morning streamed through the sheer curtains and bathed the kitchen in warm, sunny light.

Kris was at the stove, taking eggs off a burner and he crept up behind her. Legolas extended his hands, ready to touch her around the waist and-

"Hungry?"

Legolas laughed. _Damn human body._ If he were an elf, she'd never have heard him. To his further surprise, Kris turned around and…Legolas blinked.

"And what makes you smile like that, little girl?" he teased, feeling brave enough to edge closer anyway. She was positively _shining_.

Kristy backed up against the counter instead, still grinning like a madman, before fumbling behind herself. And a plate of bacon and eggs was pushed into his chest before he could reach her.

"Eat."

Legolas was about to protest. The smell was heavenly though and he couldn't resist. "Aren't you going to have breakfast?" he dug a fork out of the drawer. He nodded to the two other covered plates on the stove keeping warm.

"Already have." She smiled, folding her arms and watching him slide up on the counter. The kitchen was sparkling clean too, Legolas noticed.

"Here." She set a glass of cold, frothy orange juice beside him, and a berry muffin. He was about to thank her, still a little stunned at all this…when she touched his head. It was just like she used to, before all this: an affectionate pet and more. It was a caress that lingered too long.

He liked it.

Kris stared at him the whole time he ate. She leaned on the counter across the kitchen and just watched.

The food was salty and cooked to perfection. Yet Legolas couldn't bring himself to ignore her either. As he chewed, he ran his eyes up and down her frame; she looked so fresh and alive in morning light. Kris was already dressed in a cotton and spandex, long-sleeved shirt. She looped her thumbs through her belt loops, tilting her head to look at him more intensely, hair back in a shaggy ponytail.

And when he was finished, feeling her grinning eyes on him the entire time, he set the plate in the sink and brushed his teeth. He wasn't sure why she kept looking at him…but soon, it became a game. Things were so much simpler in cheery light. He felt playful and things weren't so bad as they seemed. Legolas caught a glass from the counter and drank water down with a gulp, never taking his eyes off her. He even looked at her through the glass as he drank…and then something shifted inside.

This was a game, and he didn't like it. Under the playfulness, he felt it, no matter how light-hearted. The ease and then tension was tangible in the air. He felt it charge and release, back and forth, swell and then dissipate as he rode wave after wave.

She just kept staring at him with that silly smile…as if daring him, asking him, warning him. And Legolas snapped.

"Kristy." he threw the glass in the sink with a _bang_ and stalked across the kitchen.

He slammed into her and his mouth collided with hers in an instant flare of frustration and glee; he took a terrible chance. You never knew with Kristy. But to his mild shock, he felt her hands grab his hair in fistfuls and it felt oh, so good. She ran them down his shoulders, caressed his neck, and he kissed her fiercely, hungrily.

"Why?" he breathed, pulling himself from her mouth with a gasp. "W-why? What are we doing?"

"You did it. Not me."

"You let me!"

"… I know." She whispered, flashing another breathless smile.

"But it is impossible, anything more. You _know_ this." Legolas shook his head, staring shakily into her eyes. He couldn't read them, not at all. But she nodded. And he gently yanked her closer, turning so they were sheltered from the brilliant, glaring sunlight. He ground his fingers in the small of her back, back and forth, round and round in circles.

"How can you do it? Don't you care that-that…" he grimaced, "I mean-"

"Yes?"

He furrowed his brows.

Kristy just cradled his neck in her hands, memorizing every curve and line of his face. And she asked for herself, because she had to know. She had to know what he _really_ thought of her now. "Legolas, what do you call someone who wants something so bad they don't care what it takes?"

"A fool." He answered immediately. He knew it. He was a fool.

"And someone who wants it so badly, they don't care who it hurts? Themselves? The other? Heartbreak no matter what happens?"

"Selfish." He hissed, and he was furious at himself for it.

But then he thought of the day…the day he would leave. And the centuries that would follow, remembering that he didn't try. He'd remember he pushed her away, kept his feelings at bay because he was afraid of losing them. But then, when he was alone and he was without her forever, he would look back and wonder what he lost. All that time he wasted!

And he'd miss her so much…

Maybe he couldn't do it. Maybe he'd find a way home, stare into a flashing beam of light, the passage home, and he couldn't walk away. Maybe he wouldn't be able to leave her.

Kris dropped her head, nodding slightly. His words were realization and a little disappointment. It wasn't enough to make her pull away though; she knew, after all. She was selfish. She _was_ a fool. But so what? She knew what she wanted. She knew what she loved and she didn't want to let go.

Legolas didn't notice her disappointment. He was occupied with kissing the spot just under her ear…slowly, deeply. He brushed his lips over hers, glancing over her face as she reached for him.

He wasn't wasting time now. He was enjoying it.

"Kiss me…" he whispered against her mouth. "I know you want to. Kristy, I-"

And she cut him off. It was a gentle touch, her fingers over his mouth… Kris slipped her finger over his bottom lip, back and forth, grazing his cheek with her hands. There were so many things she wanted to ask him. _Do you love me?_ Is Tauriel right? Why wouldn't you answer me?

But she didn't.

What did this ache in her chest matter if he didn't feel the same way? Tauriel's words played over and over in her head. _Was she right?_ Was there a part of him…no matter how small, no matter how insignificant, that dreaded leaving here? Was Tauriel just a fantasy to him and a symbol of home?

Of course there was. Whether he knew it or not, a part of him felt what she did. And she didn't want to let go of that part.

"Legolas…" Kris whispered.

Legolas just smiled. He didn't know what made the icy wall between them melt. But it didn't matter. She was here and she smelled so good. She was warm. She wanted to touch him and feel his hair, stroke his neck and she didn't pretend not to. Legolas smiled, slowly pulling the tie from her ponytail. And he ran his fingers through her locks, deftly combing the strands behind her ears.

"No more fighting." He said quietly.

And she nodded.

"No more riddles." He said even quieter, just a whisper. "…no games."

Kristy leaned forward and still nodding, slipped her head under his chin and hugged him. And he smiled harder, folding his arms around her. She rifled her hands up under his shirt. His skin was warm and she curled and uncurled her fingers, stroking his back.

"Why are you so happy?" he asked softly.

 _Wasn't it just last night she was telling him this was a reprieve?_ It was as if she was as desperate to grab the time they had left as he was.

"I heard some things." She said nondescriptly, feeling his spine under his shirt and he shivered in delight. Her hands were icy cold. "And I've been doing some thinking." She admitted, that irresistible smile still tugging at her mouth.

And he kissed it off. "I'm glad." He murmured. "I'm tired of fighting with you."

"And hearing about Roger?" She giggled.

The grin drained from his face. "What about him?"

"I-"

And instantly, the door outside opened. Legolas looked up with a start. Kris broke off, twisting in his arms. He didn't let go of her though. Not quite. Estel and Tauriel walked in.

If it were any other time, or she was any less deliriously happy to be in his arms, Kris would have yanked herself out of his crooked hug. But as it was, Legolas smiled at the intruders, and he rested his chin on her head.

"Breakfast on the stove." He nodded with his eyes.

Estel just threw a strange, silent glance and went on his way. Kris couldn't help but notice the distant, estranged look in the eyes of Tauriel as she passed by though. And she disappeared into the bathroom.

Kristy sighed. She wanted to stay tucked under his arm forever; he felt so good. And he was so warm. The dark hoodie with the pocket in front, the one he loved to bury his hands in, smelled like him…smoke, mint, fresh pines. She didn't want to pull away, not ever. But today was her first day of running the store herself. She had to now.

"Legs…I gotta go to work." She whispered as Estel sat down to eat. The ranger was quiet, even more quiet than normal, but she couldn't let that bother her. Not right now.

"Ah…" he groaned aloud. "Why?"

"You know why. Please just take Shenzie out this afternoon like normal, huh?"

He shook his head. "How about if I take you out?"

She laughed, twisting in his arms to peer up at him. "Out where?"

"For a walk? Tonight?"

Kristy almost didn't, but she smiled and muttered. " _I_ don't need you to walk me to the bathroom."

Legolas laughed. "Nay. But tonight, we will walk home anyway. Agreed? Through the park?"

"Isn't it a little cold?"

Legolas grinned at that. This was the best part. "Look at the temperature gauge."

"It's-" and she blinked, staring at the thermometer in disbelief. "…forty- _three_?"

Legolas nodded slyly, enjoying her reaction. "It seems you can count on nothing, even a Minnesota winter. So it is settled. We will walk home."

"When the Christmas lights are on?" she smiled before she could stop, whipping around in his arms.

He nodded. "Five o'clock. Wait for me."

"Promise?" she reached for the door handle, trying not to leave. He stood so close it was intoxicating. It made her heart beat wildly and she felt excited, impatient for later and loathe at the same time.

Maybe things would change by tonight. He always kept his promises, but…but maybe he wouldn't want to. He'd realize what he was doing was stupid, so stupid he shouldn't encourage it.

And there was real worry in her voice.

Legolas just grinned and pressed his lips to her forehead, combing her bangs to the side where they wanted to fall. He lingered longer than he had to, letting the faint brush of his lips linger on her skin. And he whispered. "…I promise, precious thing."

. . . . . .

At four thirty o'clock, Kris looked up with a start at the _dingle_ of the shop bell, and she felt footsteps behind her. A single thought struck.

 _Legolas._

Kristy inwardly sighed in relief, but she didn't turn. She was so worried he wouldn't come! Aragorn would talk him out of it, or he'd talk _himself_ out of it. He wouldn't show and she'd take a taxi home, alone, wondering why he didn't come, asking if it was something she did or not…

And suddenly, two hands covered her eyes and she leapt.

"Guess who?" he asked.

Kristy's heart dropped into her stomach. The hands were meaty and too large for Legolas. She blinked furiously under the darkness of his hands– "Roger."

. . . . . .

 _Fifteen to five._

Kristine would be free in just a few minutes. Legolas strode down the sidewalk and reveled in the warm wind as it blew through the city. It was so unpredictable, the weather, especially with the storms. Kris said they stirred the atmosphere, upset normal weather patterns, brought on storms and heatwaves at will.

It certainly felt like it today.

Legolas opened his coat and shook his unruly hair, pushing it back with his hands. The setting sun was warm and the evening lights winked and blinked in the dusky sky. Tiny, spinning droplets of water poured from the rooftops: melting snow. It trickled down the streets and filled the gutters, clearing the sidewalks until they were wet and dark. Cool, brisk, beautiful: he smiled inside. Kristy would love it tonight.

And then as he walked, a pain built suddenly in his lower abdomen and he grimaced. He stopped a moment, catching his breath as a wave of dizziness swept over him. The pain eased up and he held his belly, using a wall for support. Then he gasped aloud as it came back in full force.

Everything felt hollow and too real. It _hurt._ He heard the screech of tires, voices like they were thunderous; the cacophony of city noises was deafening! He held his head and tried to block it out.

Legolas' hearing was always sensitive: he knew that. Things that didn't bother Kristine hurt his ears. He sensed things before she did. But this…this was something else. It was wrong. It was like fever, but not. Pain and weakness _._

And almost as soon as it was there, it faded to nothing, leaving him breathless. He hissed through his teeth, grabbing the wall in a vice-like grip…before pushing on. His muscles loosened again and he felt better again after a few blocks. Every step loosened the pain a little more.

Hopefully he was catching a flue…Legolas thought with a wince.

Soon he was close to the glass storefront anyway, traffic whizzing by like before. He saw a car parked in the alley nearby. It was familiar. He couldn't place it though, and he slowed down. _Who was here?_

Movement inside the window made him glance in. Kristy was there, yes…and so was Roger _._

Legolas' eyes darkened.

The door wheezed shut behind the prince (a pathetic excuse for an entrance) and Legolas walked slowly into the store, still a little stiff from the pain. He stuck his hands in his pockets, pushing it down and he curled them into fists. Roger's back was broad and muscular.

"uh-" Kris broke off from what she was saying. They were talking about the heatwave melting the snow outside. "Luke! Ha, um, fancy seeing you here."

Roger spun around in surprise, pulling dark hands out of his cargo pants. Legolas didn't move. He just stared at the Marine very quiet, and very still.

"So this guy bugs you at work, too?" Roger laughed genuinely curious.

"'Course not. I mean, it's almost closing time anyway…" Kristy said a little awkwardly, glancing between them. She wanted Legolas to say something, defend himself. But he just looked at Roger with a smoldering stare.

"Great." Rog's eyes never leaving Legolas' blue ones. You could dice the tension in the air with a knife. "Since you're almost off work then, we can get out of here, Kris."

Instantly Legolas stiffened. "Is there a reason for your presence here?"

"Actually, he was inviting me to a New Year's party tomorrow night." Kristy explained quickly. "Wasn't that nice?"

"Divine." He agreed with a tiny, sardonic smile. His eyes never left Roger's. But to his surprise, the man didn't break his gaze. He was used to men wilting under his most princely 'stand down, scum' stare. It was unnerving. "What did you answer him, pray tell?" he turned to Kristy.

"I said… I said yes."

Legolas jolted inside, but he kept absolutely still. "What?"

"I said I'd go if you would." She said, glancing between them. "I-it's okay if Luke comes, right?"

Surprise flashed over Roger's face. But he was quick to wipe it off and he shrugged. "I guess. Sure." He turned to Legolas with a feral grin. "I should warn you though…there'll be a lot of Marines at the party."

A challenge...or a warning.

Legolas arched a dark brow. It was the last thing he wanted to say, but pride and dignity made him answer smoothly. "I look forward to it."

And an awkward moment passed. Kristy found Legolas' stare and it drew her in, as if asking a thousand questions, _demanding_ a thousand questions, with just a single quirk of his mouth and that tilt to his head. She couldn't answer it.

" _So,_ " Roger drew out, spinning around to look at her. "Kris, gonna let me drive you home then?"

And she blinked, as if broken from the trance. She shook her head. "No, sorry I can't. Luke's walking me home."

"I see." He agreed with an acquiescing nod. What the marine was thinking, Legolas couldn't tell. But he'd give a family heirloom to find out.

And that was that.

Ten minutes later, Legolas pushed the glass door open and 'helped' Kris out with a light push. He kept a grip on her coat as they strode down the sidewalk, and he didn't even notice the flashing orange, pinks and blues radiating from the warm sunset in the west. Not this time.

"What was _that_ all about?" he hissed when they were out of earshot. He pushed along and as soon as they were around the corner, pulled to a stop and spun around. "What do you mean-" he switched to a high, cracking Kristy voice. "I'll go if _you_ will?"

She stifled a giggle.

And he snapped back to his own voice, glaring fiercely. "Are you _mad,_ Kristine?"

"Legs, listen." She said. "There's something going on here. I just have to find out what it is!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "I _told_ you that man was trouble from the beginning." The elf leaned closer, so close he felt her sharp intake of breath at his nearness. "What are you up to, Kristine?"

"Honestly?"

He blinked. "Honestly."

"I need your help." She confessed.

 _Well that was unexpected._ A part of him thought she wanted to run around with the man still. And it made him angry. Perhaps not? Legolas folded his arms, sheltered in the wet alley. He leaned sideways on the brick wall.

"Care to explain?" he inquired.

Kristy sighed, scrubbing her eyes with two fists. "Okay. I…I learned something about Roger the other day. Legs, he's playing something, and I'm not sure what. I need you to help me find out."

"What did you learn?" he glanced over her face.

"He's gay!" Kris said flatly. "And it just doesn't make since."

"He has every right to be happy." He objected. "And he seemed perfectly content to me."

"Happy?" Kris said. "Oh! No no, not 'happy' gay. I mean _gay_ gay."

Legolas narrowed one eye.

"He likes… _men_?" she trailed off, looking at him as if he should know what she was talking about. "Not women, like me. You know."

And suddenly, Legolas blinked, standing bolt upright. "Oh!" he shuddered out a fast, shaking breath as understanding dawned. _Men._ "Oh _,_ I…I see. I see what you mean."

"Yeah." She agreed.

And Legolas shook his head, blinking hard. "How in _Arda_ did you come across that information, Kristine? You didn't…" he grimaced. "you didn't walk in at an opportune time?"

Kristy burst out laughing. "No! God no, Laurie told me. She didn't know anything about us, of course. She just mentioned it. But that doesn't change anything. We have to find out why Roger's _doing_ this."

"I see." he murmured, processing the information.

Kris nodded vigorously.

"Well, dragging him down a little further in your eyes?" Legolas smiled fiercely, nipping her chin with a finger. And she laughed a little. "Proving I was right all along? I should look forward to that."

. . . . . .

That night, Kristy looked out over the city in the dark. The air was crisp and cool on the twenty-fifth floor, a perfect vantage point. She was curled up in a corner of her balcony seat, swinging gently back and forth in the breeze. Water dripped off the gutters and landed on the rail, _ping…ping, ping._ She listened to it with a deep sense of comfort.

The night was so quiet here. She heard faint laughter from inside, a rare, deep chuckle. Estel had persuaded Tauriel to play cards with him. They had a book open to 'poker rules' and their voices drifting through the open screen door were like magic. It was so good to hear.

And suddenly, a hand brushed hers. "Mind if I sit?"

Kris jolted, lifting her head in surprise. "What?"

Legolas smiled, glancing at the other side of the seat. "May I?"

"Oh! O-of course." She shuffled up quickly and gestured to the place beside. "Sure."

Legolas dropped down heavily beside.

Kris wondered at that. He was usually so lithe and graceful. Legolas had an arm wrapped protectively around his middle, Kristy noticed. Maybe he was feeling a little off…

Legolas sighed heavily. The cushion tied to the seat frame was old and damp from the snow. Kristy had a plush blanket over it. He folded one leg under him and used the other on the floor to keep them still, settling in the warm, dry blanket… Legolas turned his head to stare at her. She looked right back.

It was as if something played over and over in her head, keeping that happy light in her eyes. Legolas couldn't fathom what it was. They were like the stars, cool and gleaming in the dark.

"Come here." Legolas urged suddenly. Kristy had her legs curled up between them, and he didn't like it. She was too far away. He pushed gently on her knees to get them down. "Come on."

To his surprise, she pushed off the cushion without hesitation and sidled up next to him. She even buried her fingers in his sweater. Legolas smiled. He wasn't sure why she liked him in this hoodie. It was comfortable, but she couldn't feel that. Maybe it was warm. Maybe she liked how he felt in it. Maybe she liked how it smelled.

Either way, Kris curled up in it. "Thank you." she said quietly.

It surprised him a little, as the tension in his torso eased. "For what?"

A few moments passed. Kristy breathed softly, reveling in the warm gust of wind and his breathing in her hair. "You know."

"No, I don't." he said honestly.

"For coming with me tomorrow… For helping me with Roger."

He smiled, gently crossing his arms around her shoulders to keep her close. _Ah._ So that was it. She didn't trust the marine either.

But then she spoke again.

"And…for always being here." She whispered softer yet, into his shirt. "…no matter how much I'm scared you'll leave."

Legolas grew silent again. He should have known. With her, there was always something more. And the words disturbed him more than they should have… Legolas _wanted_ to be here. A part of him that loved sitting outside when it was dark and cool, resting his face in her hair. The part that liked looking out over the city at night. So many lights, as if they were stars, the river twisting through the city and sparkling in the dark.

"Don't thank me." He said softly.

It wasn't a favor…and it wasn't selfless.

Legolas' thoughts drifted back to a certain night. He didn't know what happened then, when he saw Kristine driving away. It was as if he had a glimpse of the future. His eyes were opened and he knew why sometimes, this world could seem so beautiful to him. Why he was so confused, why this world meant as much to him as it did. Because it was where he met a girl.

"I don't care why you're out here with me." She mumbled softly.

Legolas shifted, glancing down. _How did she know exactly what he was thinking?_ "Even if I'd prefer to be inside, alone?"

Kristy's breath froze. "Do you?"

He smiled gently, and said a little more playfully. "No."

She exhaled and hit him in the side. "Oh you-" Kris looked up instantly, shocked. Legolas cursed himself for flinching so violently, but he blinked it away fast. It was such a gentle hit. It was affectionate, not brutal. But it hurt and he didn't know why. Kristy didn't miss it.

"I…" she looked up and down, gently feeling his side where she hit him. As if she couldn't believe she'd hurt him…

"Tis alright." He assured her quickly. "It was nothing. I do not feel well, today. That is all."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Sure you're alright?"

Legolas nodded. "Perfectly."

"I…" She whispered, still unsure. "okay."

But it wasn't quite 'okay'. Kris wouldn't even rest her head on his chest again until he coaxed her back.

"Tell me about yourself, Kristine." He murmured softly, to distract her. A swift topic change was in order. Legolas used his boot to gently sway them back and forth, forward…back, and they looked through the rusty rails over the city. It soon calmed her and they lapsed into comfortable quiet again.

"You know everything about me." She said finally, a little muffled in his chest. "What's to tell?"

"Have you always worked for Corby?" he asked, curling and uncurling his fingers in her hair.

"No..." she said softly. There was something a little uncomfortable in her voice, but it was something else that she didn't want to talk about. Legolas wasn't quite sure what.

"What did you do before that?" he encouraged.

Kris apparently thought about it a long while. "Do you really wanna know?"

"Of course."

"You won't believe me."

Legolas had to know now. "Oh tell me, already!"

"Well, when I graduated highschool, I…I wanted to do police work." She admitted softly.

Legolas blinked. "You mean, like the ones who patrol the city?"

"Kind of. I actually completed the classes and special training. And my dream was to someday get into a…oh, never mind."

"Kristy, tell me. Were you going to join the military?"

"No." she sighed softly. "I _wanted_ to work my way into special opps, become a SWAT officer. It doesn't really matter. Really it doesn't. It was a long time ago… Just a dumb twerp's dream."

"Kristine, how is it that I never knew this?"

She shrugged.

Legolas shook his head. "But why? Why did you stop? Why would you want to do something like this at all?" Somehow, he couldn't imagine little Kristine patrolling the broken, crime-filled streets of assaulted Minneapolis with a gun belted to her hip.

But then, there was the time in the park…when she hadn't thought twice about kicking his legs out from under him. And he remembered the fight in the woods, the pistil she was used to handling, how she shot the troll between the eyes …Maybe it wasn't blind luck. She remembered her pinning him in the snow.

"Can we please not talk about it?" she whispered in a rush. "I didn't make it, simple as that. I'm not cut out for it, that's all."

He breathed softly. It wasn't all; he knew that. There was much more to this story…but now wasn't the time. "We don't have to talk about it." he assured her.

And Kristy nodded slightly, content to rest the side of her face in his shirt.

"Tell me about when you were a child, a young child growing up." He asked instead. "What was it like?"

She let out a sigh. "Oh, Legolas! That's not _interesting_ either. I'd much rather hear about yours."

Legolas chuckled deep in his throat, trying and succeeding to lighten the air again. "Trust me, you know more of my childhood than you ought."

"Like?"

"Like…I trained. I told you that. And well, I spent _relentless_ energies getting around my tutors. I became a warrior of my people. And I have spent the last two centuries driving evil from our lands. Simple. Rather tedious, actually. Quite boring."

Kristy laughed and buried her face in his chest, so hard he felt her shoulders shake.

"What is so funny?"

"You!" she sniffed. "You think growing up an elf prince, living all your life in the leafy green-" and she hiccupped. "You think fighting off spiders and a demon lord from your elfly _kingdom_ is boring?!"

Well, put like that, it didn't sound very likely. But it just wasn't like that. What she didn't fathom was the years, every day…day in, day out, just the same. Every day just like the last, just like the next. Kristy didn't understand.

"You have a rather rosy view of my life, Kristine. I will tell you about it then, if you insist."

"Really?"

He smiled, before glancing down. Kris peeked up at him from under a fringe of hair, and he brushed it aside, feeling his smile grow. _How could something so simple make her so happy?_

"Yes." He touched the tip of her nose. "So get comfortable."

Legolas shifted down and settled into the cushions. She nodded vigorously, and shuffled deep in his arms. There was a narrow wicker table set up on the tiny balcony, and Legolas propped his boots up on that. Kristy curled up beside, and she tucked her head under his chin.

"Okay, go." She whispered excitedly.

Legolas couldn't stop his grin. He just couldn't understand. She was so…so eager, so elated. Why? But it made him feel incredibly good. Legolas squeezed a brief hug out of her.

"The greenwood is beautiful, Kristine." He said softly, wistfully. "It's more than beautiful. It is alive. When you visit the trees there, they don't let you go. They become a part of you. Forever. The trees there are older than even I am; you feel that as you walk in them. They are wise and as summers pass, that wisdom grows. They become more alive than when we woke them. And when the sun is out, when it filters through the branches and warms the earth, when the trees sing in the wind and you listen to their sweet whispers…" Legolas trailed off.

Kris gazed through the rails, before lifting them to Legolas. She stared at him, looked deep in his eyes as they trailed the horizon.

"It's home. It's everything." He murmured. "Or…at least I thought so."

"Thought so?"

"Now…" he said it like a question, one to himself.

"What do you think now?" Kris whispered faintly.

"Now I…" he sighed. "I wish the choice was easy."

She looked at him. _Choice.._. What choice? There _was_ a choice?

"Legolas…" She asked suddenly, heart pounding in her ears. "You mean you haven't decided yet?"

Legolas exhaled, scanning the starlit sky. Sitting here, holding her, swaying back and forth in the still breeze. He just didn't know.

"Legolas?" she slipped a hand over his chest, and Kristy reached up to touch his chin. "Legolas? Do you mean you…you might not go back?"

Legolas shook his head. He was so comfortable here, right now, so content. Could he leave this? Her? "Oh, Kristine. I do not _know_." He said in exasperation.

It was selfish. She knew that.

But an unreasonable hope flared in her chest and she buried her face in his chest anyway. _There was hope._ He might not leave. He might stay… He might. And that wasn't what made her happy. A place deep down didn't want him to do that. But that he even thought about it! The idea crossed his mind, he wrestled at all with what tore her heart in pieces. It meant after all this, even after all the fears and the fights, how he hated this world…he cared. It wasn't the traffic and the crummy apartment that made him fight like this. It was her. It _had_ to be.

"Tell me more." she urged him, fingering the tails of the drawstring hanging from his hood. She couldn't press it now. And she couldn't corner him. Kristy drew back and asked. "What it was like growing up, please?"

It took a little while, but eventually, his fingers began stroking her hair again. "I grew up a prince of my people," he began again quietly. "…in every respect really: all the tedious ceremonies, the name to uphold. I was always missing functions, feasts, welcoming parties. My brother sometimes would even cover for me when I just-"

And Kristy let out a muffled sound of surprise and bolted upright. "…brother."

Legolas blinked.

" _Brother?"_ she gasped. "You have a _brother_?"

"Why yes." He said, as if it were obvious.

"W-why the heck haven't you _told_ me that?" she gaped at him like a fish out of water, spluttering for words.

"Watch your language." He frowned playfully, before taking his thumbs and running them across the crease in her brow. "And don't fret so. I thought you knew?"

"No!" she protested, half laughing in shock and relief. Kris was about to choke out that the books _never_ mentioned this, not ever!

…Before remembering he didn't know about those books. She quickly snapped her mouth shut, realizing he wouldn't take that information well. Legolas knew there were stories and legends about him, of course, which was how she knew so much about Estel and his quest. But not in so much detail.

And Kris hurriedly grinned again. Maybe this wasn't so catastrophic as she thought. "Tell me about him!"

"Manwe Kristine, I thought you knew." He nearly laughed. Legolas drew her loosely back into his arms, shaking his head. "You knew so much else of my world..."

"But you never mentioned him."

"Well it…it is difficult." He admitted. "We were close, my brothers and I. Tanlen, it is especially so for him. He was gone from us so very young, you see."

"Tanlen?"

"My youngest brother." He clarified.

Kris could hardly process this. "You have two brother _s_."

"Yes, but let me explain. My eldest brother is Gwaethir. And he is quite a few years older than I." Legolas said. "Tanlen was but a babe when he sailed to Valinor with…my father's sister. The forest was growing dark and it was not safe for children so young. It was for the best, and yet terribly difficult. It left only me and Gwaethir."

She nodded slowly, before craning her neck back and looking up at him. "So you're not the oldest?"

He shook his head. "No. I am the youngest at home, actually."

And Kristy went still. That…that meant- "But I thought you were the crown prince!" She spilled out before she could think, utterly stunned.

Legolas blinked.

Kristy pulled out of his arms, shuffling around to face him. "You're not the crown prince?"

He shook his head.

"Gwaethir is. _You_ won't be king?"

Legolas appeared uncomfortable for some reason. She wanted him to be ruler. She wanted him to have power, or riches…maybe influence. "Does the thought bother you?" he asked, somehow dreading the answer. Surely not Kristine.

"…No. I-I mean-" she laughed. " _no._ Oh Legolas, I love it. This is wonderful. I mean, it's bad enough that you're a prince. But _king_?"

Legolas felt a smile tug at his mouth as she visibly shuddered.

"I'm so glad." Kristy sighed. "You're just a prince in name only, then. And you're probably just a worthless playboy prince too, you jerk." She teased him.

"Well even we princes in 'name only' must keep to his king's law." He was quick to quip back, revenge for scaring him so.

"What?"

His voice dropped low and he said deadly serious. "We royalty are all celibate, Kristine. No philandering for me."

And Kristy went very still. 

"Is something wrong?"

"C-… celibate?" she echoed, wide-eyed.

And then…Legolas burst into unrestrained laughter. Oh, that face! Utter shock, barely restrained horror, complete confusion: _priceless_!

"Oh, you creep." She smacked him hard in the chest. He crowed harder. "That's not funny!"

Legolas lost his breath and snorted in glee. Then he wiped his face and when he calmed down again, he said breathlessly. "No, it wouldn't indeed. What fun is that?"

"How could royalty possibly be celibate, you idiot?" She poked him in the chest. "What do you think I am, dumb? Obviously your dad had _you_." "

And his voice dropped to a delighted hum, deep in his throat. "Then what was that _face_ for, precious thing?" He'd laughed so hard he was on his back. Kris just folded her arms, glaring at him through his knees. "Afraid I couldn't properly satisfy a lover?"

The humor was still there, Kristy heard it. But so was a suggestive, huskiness. He was panting from the exertion of laughing so hard. His face was flushed for one reason or another: amusement, embarrassment maybe.

 _So perfect…_ Was all she thought stupidly. _So unreachable._

He quirked a mischievous smile, still looking at her through his parted knees. "Because I could, you know."

"I couldn't care less." She tilted her eyebrows. "And I'll bet a creep like you has never even had a girlfriend, much less been a philanderer."

Legolas shot upright and shuffled into his earlier position, propping his boots on the little table. To his vague shock, or maybe not, Kristy twisted around and settled back in his arms just like before. Her back was to him now.

"Girlfriend." he asked, knowing perfectly well what she meant. Legolas locked his arm around her waist with one and stroked her hair with the other. She sighed and leaned into it, letting him nuzzle his nose into the silky locks as they slipped through his fingers. Damp. Fresh. "Don't you mean how many _lovers_ have I had?"

Kris frowned. She didn't know how the conversation switched to thatso fast, but she didn't like it. Or maybe she did… She wasn't quite sure. But Kris was immensely comfortable here, and despite his titillating whisper, he was joking. She didn't know how she knew it, but she did. Legolas was relaxed and warm, setting them to swaying again, back and forth.

"Well, how many?" she asked grudgingly.

"Mm…lovers?" he clarified.

"Yeah."

"Hm. Not too many."

Listening to the distant city noises and rocking gently in the seat, Kris was tempted just to ignore it. Maybe he was joking. Maybe he just wanted to be funny, or bug her…Something. But she couldn't resist.

"Alright, I know this is a mistake, Legs. And I don't know how we got from your family to this, but I think I wanna know anyhow." Legolas shifted comfortably under her, and Kristy twisted around to see him. "Well?"

"Not many." He echoed again, grinning. "Don't you trust me?"

"But Legolas, I-"

And footsteps on the balcony made them look up in surprise. _Drat._ Now she'd never find out!

"Who would like something to eat?"

Kristy peered up at the platter of bread and cheese, fruit and water a certain, unshaved ranger offered.

"Estel." Legolas muttered, before asking in Sindarin. " _Why now, of all times?"_

Aragorn just smiled. He was waiting for a lull in that conversation, and this was an opportune time. " _You are trying to impress her."_ He said in a quiet voice. " _That is why."_

" _So?_ "

He handed Kristy a thick slice of meat and a slab of cheese. " _So you are the most_ inexperienced _elf in all of Greenwood when it comes to love, and you know it. You are too busy with the trees to play with maidens."_

" _That doesn't mean she must know that!"_ Legolas protested.

"- What are you guys talking about?" Kris glared up at the elf in mock anger.

But he was saved by the entrance of Tauriel. Estel slid the platter onto the low table by Legolas' boots, and before Kris quite knew what happened, all four of them were settled down comfortably. Tauriel stared at the moonlit river from atop the banister, Aragorn cross-legged on the floor with his back to the rusty rails.

"It's not nice to talk in foreign tongues." Kristy chided, glancing at him somberly. Her Westron was bad enough as it was. Legolas already talked in Westron most of the time now, and Sindarin was just impossible.

"Forgive us." Estel merely smiled. "…But tell me, Kristine, how does this government of yours work?"

"Our…our government?"

"Yes." He murmured bluntly, eating a handful of nuts. "I have witnessed many a country's ruling system, and yet nothing quite like yours."

So she launched into as much of what she could remember from high school government classes, still wondering what those two said, and wondering how he possibly thought she'd know anything about this. She wasn't sure how long into the night they talked. It didn't stay long on that topic though, and Kristy rested comfortably in the crook of Legolas' arm, enjoying it immensely as the tide of the conversation shifted and lapsed into heady laughter and perfect, quiet spots.

It was the most she'd ever heard the Ranger speak, even if Legolas talked more than her.

So Kris fell asleep sometime in the night; she knew it because the world went dark and hazy. Her last vision was tiny embers in a long pipe lighting Aragorn's face in the night. The sweet smell of smoke wafted on the breeze. It was a discussion on the fine points of Shire weed now, or something like that, and also the disgusting points of the sport. Tauriel couldn't care less either way. And Legolas didn't seem to like the stuff at all... He fanned even the whisper of smoke away with a disgusted, playful snort.

Figures.

Either way, it all felt incredibly good.

. . . . . . .

 **A/N:** **So… ya'll probably figured out that I was lying before, right? I actually do like reviews! And** _ **actually…**_ **I like them almost as much as blueberry muffins!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: So I skipped update time last week, I know... and I'm sorry!**

 **This chapter is kind of a shorter fill in, but it was either that or make it extra long (and wait longer yet). That means half the next chapter is done up though, and it's pretty 'eventful'. So it shouldn't be long! :)) Thank you for all your encouraging reviews.**

 **Dreamer: Yeah, don't ask questions you don't want the answers to! Maybe asking Legolas about past lovers wasn't such a good idea. xD**

. . .

 _"_ _Can't act. Slightly bald. Can dance a little." -Screen Tester on Fred Astaire_

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Legolas put Kris to bed. She shivered in the cold sheets as he put her down, despite the warmer weather outside. He would have put her in his own bed; he wouldn't mind keeping Kristy warm tonight. But Estel was already suspicious.

Then he thought about it.

 _Maybe he was more than that._ He always was intuitive beyond his years. Maybe Aragorn knew the game Legolas started playing was now…backfiring. Maybe he knew how Legolas was becoming more and more, day by day, torn apart.

Legolas brushed the thought away, along with her hair, pressing a kiss to Kristy's forehead, before gently shutting the door behind him. Then the back of his neck tingled. And before he even looked, Legolas guessed.

 _Aragorn._

"And what's so interesting about putting a girl to bed?" he slowly turned around.

The ranger's eyes were calculating and warm. Aragorn rested in the threshold, his unshaven face in shadow. A tiny smile tugged at his mouth. "By the looks of it…a great deal."

Legolas just shrugged his shoulders. "Surely, I don't know what you mean." And he brushed past, heading for the couch.

"You will have to leave her, mellon." Aragorn said, staring at the spot Legolas used to occupy. "You know that."

Legolas stopped, hovering in the living room entry. He breathed a little faster, clamping his mouth shut hard. "So?"

Aragorn shifted on his feet. "So?"

Legolas whirled around. "What point are you trying to make?"

The ranger almost answered. He saw it in his eyes: concern, worry…understanding. Legolas almost frowned. _Understanding?_ Estel knew him better than almost anyone. But that didn't mean he knew how this felt. How could he? Losing everything, his mind, his spirit, falling apart…only for someone to pick up the pieces. Losing that someone.

Legolas dropped his eyes, staring at the floor.

"I am listening."

Legolas shook his head. "I don't need this from you. I _must_ leave. I know that."

"But can you?" Estel asked earnestly. He dropped into Sindarin, glancing over the elf face in the dark. "Can you leave her?"

"I have a duty. I swore to protect the ring-bearer! My people need me."

"That is not what I asked."

"What do you mean?" Legolas asked defensively.

"Legolas, I have eyes." He said a little more harsh. "Are you trying to tell me you have no feelings for her?"

"Of course not." He spat, before shaking his head. "What should I say? What do you want to hear? That I love her? That I…that I feel like she's tearing me apart?"

Moonlight spilled through the drapes and moved over their faces. They stood very still, watching each other. And Legolas shifted back, lifting a hand, gesturing at the closed bedroom door.

"That she's the piece I never knew I was missing?" he asked softer yet, and his whisper faltered. "That just the thought of never…touching her again is killing me?"

Aragorn's eyes slid shut, exhaling softly.

"Well, I tried." Legolas said, knotting his hand in the pale strands of hair spilling over his forehead. "Believe me, I've tried, Estel." He laughed sickly. "I thought- I thought Tauriel was my heart. That I belonged in the trees. _That_ was my home. But Kristy," he whispered. "Kristy, a single word from her can…cut me to pieces. Or make me fly. No matter how hard I try, I can't push her from my mind. When she's gone from me, if she's taken from me, she'll take…she'll take-" he trailed off.

"Everything." Aragorn agreed. "…and your heart with it."

Legolas' eyes flickered to the floor. _Yes._ He didn't want it to be, but it was true.

Estel lifted his pale shining eyes. "Perhaps you forget, my friend, my heart too sails to Valinor without me."

"Arwen." Legolas said stupidly. _Of course._ Oh, he was so callous! Worrying about his own problems, his own heartache, when Estel faced exactly the same thing.

"I am sorry." Legolas said immediately. "I did not mean to-"

"It is alright." Estel said. "I did not want sympathy for my troubles. I only wanted you to know you weren't alone in yours, _mellon nin._ It is difficult to let go. I know this."

Legolas nodded, sinking down into the couch cushions. He reached over and pulled a pillow into his lap, staring gloomily out the bay window overlooking the spreading city.

"…Perhaps impossible." Aragorn continued, as if an afterthought.

Legolas blinked. "What?"

"Perhaps impossible." He repeated, lowering himself down beside. "You know, my friend, you are no good to us distracted. Or worse: dead."

Legolas shifted uncomfortably, not liking where this was going.

"There is honor in wisdom, you know. If you chose to stay here, with Kristine…"

"No!" Legolas said firmly. "I _know_ my duty. How can you even suggest it? The Dark One spreads over our lands like pestilence, and you expect me to cower from it? No. If my people are crushed under the coming darkness, than I will fade with them."

"Then perhaps-"

"Kristine?" Legolas interrupted. He knew what the Ranger was going to say, and he scoffed. "Follow me? Absolutely not. I would never ask such a thing of her."

Aragorn raised a brow. " _Ask_? Who said you need ask?"

Legolas blinked.

"Legolas, she would follow you…from this world and beyond."

Legolas stared in disbelief.

"Are you blind?" Estel nearly laughed, staring at his stupefied expression.

And he shifted in the cushions, mulling over it. Not that he ever would let her, of course. But that she would…that she might, that she'd do such a thing for him. "You think she would?" Legolas asked softly.

"Legolas, really."

"But-" Legolas stared into the dark, feeling a grin slowly spread across his face, before hastily putting it away. "But I would never let her! I mean, a world like ours, compared to this?" he gestured around. "Trust me in this, she'd never survive. Even if we _could_ win the fight with the Dark One, can you imagine what she would do without the conveniences of her home? Her family? Friends? She has a life here. She'd want to return in…in a _month's_ time. She would curse me for bringing her there. She could never be happy."

"Your faith in her is breathtaking." Aragorn said dryly.

"You know what I say is true!" Legolas protested. "She'd not even survive the war coming upon us. It will mean blood and death. I will _not_ let that fate befall her."

"'Tis your choice, my friend." He murmured. "Only choose wisely."

"You are right. It _is_ my choice. And I say no."

Legolas wanted to convince him further. He knew the ranger's nod was to placate him, and he didn't like it. But Aragorn didn't want that, and he drifted into more reminiscent things. Tauriel was out on the balcony still; their words dropped to quiet murmurs.

They talked until night was morning. The hours passed and as they did, Legolas let himself drift on memory after memory, pleasant ones, happy ones…here. Aragorn longed for his love, Legolas suspected secretly, else he'd never talk about her so freely. He knew he lost her to the war, the sea, his own mortality…and it left him feeling bereft. Legolas knew what it felt like.

Estel remembered the first night he saw the Evenstar, as a young man of twenty. She was pale skin and raven hair. Legolas almost smiled at his quiet words, full of wonder, pure devotion. And then he told him a little of his first memories here, Kristy running him over in the rain. He remembered icy rain pouring down his neck, staring at her as her lips moved, yet unable to understand a single word she said.

"It must have been difficult." Aragorn agreed softly. "Having no one to talk to."

Legolas smiled. "Oh, I had someone to talk to."

Estel glanced up, curious. Legolas just nodded to the closed bedroom door.

It made him feel better somehow, knowing she was in there. Talking about her, his life here like it was all over, was disturbing. But for now, his Kristy was just a heartbeat away…a warm, breathing body that wanted him, understood him. It made him feel consoled.

Legolas chuckled softly. "Aye. We talked to each other even more then than now. And we understood not a word."

Aragorn laughed.

"How we fought at first." Legolas sighed. "It seems it was all we did."

Aragorn lifted a skeptical brow. "At _first_?"

"I suppose it would seem that way." Legolas agreed, resting peacefully in the quiet. And he laughed softly. "But she would always come to me, when we fought. I'd wait for her. I think we could argue just for a chance to make up. Strange... I didn't even realize it, how we could do it again and again, so uselessly, until…until..."

Estel sighed.

"It's different now." Legolas inhaled quickly, glancing up. He thought about it. He remembered the way she kissed him, how her fingers looked for him in his shirt. He remembered the feel of Kristy's body curled in the crook of his arm, pulling him closer, as if never quite tight enough. It felt good…so good. "I adore her." He whispered. "And I think she might miss me, too…in the end." He added softly.

Aragorn didn't say a word.

. . . . . .

"Legolas!" Kris pounded on the bathroom door. "Come _on_!"

Legolas wet his hands and struggled to slick his unruly hair back.

"Roger will be here any minute!"

He twisted around, yanking on his tie and trying to get it knotted.

"Come _on._ " She whined, jiggling the strappy heels in her fingers. She was shaking so hard, she couldn't even walk in them yet. Kristy leaned all her weight on the door, struggling to put them on. "Legolas, you'd look like a supermodel in a damn potato bag. What's the matter?"

"Come and see." He growled, yanking the door open.

Kristy stumbled into the bathroom light…before taking a sharp breath in surprise. _Damn._ She thought stupidly. Legolas looked good. Really good, even disheveled and frustrated.

The elf inhaled sharply as Kris straightened up. His eyes swept her up in a single look. Black heels, bear arms where there should be sleeves, skin where there should be shoulders. And…Legolas frowned. Staring at her from the front, he suspected there was no back to that dress.

 _Why did she have to wear that?_

"You look good in a suit." Kristy blurted out before she could stop herself.

Legolas appeared taken aback a moment. "What?"

"The suit, I-I mean. It, um...looks good." Kristy shuffled forward and put her bag on the sink. "So what's the problem?"

"I cannot tie this Eru cursed thing, to start with." Legolas said, fidgeting with the tail end of his tie.

"Lemme help."

Legolas had on a pale white shirt, tucked loosely into his pants, and a black open coat clinging to his shoulders. He stood off on one hip, staring uncomfortably at the wall as she worked. Kristy couldn't help but notice, and she wondered what was wrong. Her fingers slowed.

Legolas was the man who could wear anything. Heck, he could probably walk down Main Street stark-naked!

Kristy turned the tie over, in, out, and pulled it tight for him. But before she slid the knot up to his neck, she acknowledged the awkward silence. For a split instant, all she heard was the buzz of the florescent lights over their heads. She stilled, peering up at him…

Legolas refused to meet her eyes.

"Legs," she asked. "Is something wrong?"

He ripped himself from the interesting thing on the wall. "Nothing."

Kristy fingered the tie against his chest, hesitating. And then…she narrowed her eyes. "You know you look awesome, don't you."

He gave her a wry smile.

"Stupid elf." Kristy turned a bright red and glancing down, tugged on his neck shyly. "There's nothing to worry about, you know. You're all uptight for nothing."

"And _who_ is attending a party full of Marines who arrest, beat, and take away strangers like me? Regularly?" Legolas frowned.

"You're trying to make me feel sorry for you, aren't you? Making you come to this thing with me?"

"You could not force me into anything." He said haughtily. "And I know not why you feel sorry for me, Kristine. I am simply wary, that's all. I don't feel…comfortable."

Kris just looked at him a moment, before suddenly, she made a decision and she undid her handiwork, tugged the tie out of his shirt and tossed it away. "You know what? You don't need that." She reached up and mussed up his hair, running her fingers through it and letting it fall free into his collar.

Legolas almost yelled. "Aye!"

" _What_? It looks better like that!"

"Do you know how long it took me to lay this flat?" he grabbed the mirror and peered inside.

"Come on. It looks good natural. And you'll feel better."

"After you and your cursed _scissors_ got to me, that _was_ my hair's natural state. As allwarriors of my people should." Legolas sighed. "Manwe, look what you've done!"

"It looks better messy." She stated, and then, when the laughter died out of her voice, she reached to capture his face. "Legolas..." She said seriously.

Blue, hooded eyes whirled around to meet her, and she sucked in a slow breath. She was going to offer some useless words of comfort, something that could relax both their nerves... But she forgot what she wanted to say. The warm skin of his cheek against her palm, his infinitesimal, rapid breathing, the top two buttons of his shirt open…it made her feel light-headed. She couldn't force the words out. Her tongue went dry.

And Legolas' mouth slowly twitched into a smile. "Come here." He reached forward and slipped her waist into his hands, drawing her into the light. "Let me look at you."

Kristy extended her arms in a model like fashion, smiling self-consciously, "Kay." before spinning slowly so he could have the full view.

 _Backless._ He was right.

The smiled drained from Legolas' face. Kristy immediately went still. She just looked at him. Seconds ticked into terribly awkward minutes, waiting for something…anything. And suddenly, she felt incredibly inadequate.

"D-do I look alright?" she asked without thinking.

A smile almost graced his lips. But not quite.

"Is it too much, I mean?" she mumbled when he didn't answer. She gestured to the dress, turning to look at her exposed back in the mirror. She quickly turned away again. Black lace ran up her sides and looped behind her neck, enveloped in tousled, silky waves of blow-dried hair. "I wanted to impress Roger. So we can find out what he's up to."

Legolas made a vague, critical face.

"Too much? It's too much?"

"No…no, not too much." he said very seriously. So much skin! And he tilted one eyebrow. "more like too little."

Kristy burst out in laughter, because it was either that or cry. She hit him in the chest. "That's not what I want to hear!"

"Then why don't you wear a dress that leaves _something_ to the imagination?" he protested.

"I hate you."

Legolas chuckled, reaching to pull her into his arms. Kris took a short breath of surprise. He was dropping his chin and delving for a kiss. His pulse skipped in his ribs in anticipation…but she flinched.

"No!" Kris threw her hands up. "I spent an hour putting this on."

" _This_ on?" he shook his head, before Legolas kissed the backs of her fingers in amusement and frustration. There was so much black, shimmering shades of brown and silver around her eyes. The only thing on her face that looked…touchable was her lips. "Oh, Kristine. Where is your face? What have you done with it?" he demanded overly harshly, and she giggled. But Legolas shook his head. "Come here."

Legolas clasped the back of her head and just before he pushed his mouth against hers, he used a hand to forcefully wipe whatever it was off her lips. And she didn't have time to protest before he was kissing her very thoroughly…while hitting his hand clean on the back of his pants.

Kris took a sharp breath in her throat and let out a faint noise of surprise. Legolas was shocked and disappointed that her lips didn't taste the same. He captured her upper lip and sucked on it, letting his nervousness and frustration burst itself into the kiss. Legolas lightly grasped her chin between his forefinger and thumb, and he gently forced her mouth open.

At least this was untainted. Legolas caressed his way into her mouth. He felt her melt into his touch and then…they were kissing slowly, deeply, without restraint. Legolas slowly reached out and felt for the light switch. It was just a little out of reach. He decided it wasn't worth it. But it was inevitable that his tongue would taste her lips again, and his soaring spirit came crashing down. He pulled back again, grimacing in displeasure.

"What…"

"What are you wearing?" he growled. Legolas kept his fingers tangled in her hair, keeping her dangerously close.

Kris rolled her eyes, flustered, bracing her hands on his chest. "Oh for god's s-"

" _Don't_ do that to me." He snapped.

Kristy's brows shot up in surprise. "…this?"

Legolas almost glowered as she treated him to another eye-roll. "Yes, that. And what in Arda are you wearing? My gods, Kristine, you don't even taste the same!"

"It's just make up. What is your problem?"

"That is a mask." He corrected. "And I certainly do not see why that… _Marine_ should look at you in that." He spat, nodding to her dress pulled against himself.

"You're looking at me right now!"

"That's me." He snapped. "Not him."

"You're so old-fashioned!" Kris said as he released her, wondering if she could possibly laugh and get away with it. Legolas could be so… _moody_ , sometimes. "And Roger's gay. He probably couldn't care less what I look like."

Legolas folded his arms. The thought made him feel better...a little. At least there was that. But Legolas just glanced away. "Well, I care."

Kristy rubbed her arms, suddenly feeling cold and…and despite her conscious mind, like some kind of loose-moraled slut. She didn't like the feeling. She wanted something…a word of encouragement. A "you look great, Krissy", or "Just fine. Let's go." Anything.

Kris snatched her purse off the counter without a sound, and before Legolas could utter another word, walked out the door.

Legolas shrugged his shoulders discontentedly, wishing he hadn't seen that expression in her eyes. She was hurt and he knew it. But then he was treated to the view of a large portion of Kristy's dark, faintly muscled back. And he cursed the thoughts that flitted through his mind as she walked away…touching that skin, caressing it, and… then silky sheets, running his tongue slowly up that spine.

 _How many men would have that same thought?_

The thought made him furious. Possessive feelings went through his mind, wondering if others would dance with her tonight. It just reminded him of all the men who would dance with her when he was gone. Maybe _the_ man. The man who would make her happy. The one who would look at her like he found himself so often doing. Maybe it would be a man who listened to her laugh and smiled, or who'd cover a nervous, suddenly self-conscious mouth and kiss it instead. He'd crush her in his arms, hug her fiercely and she'd like it…

Legolas felt an ache in his chest that rivaled the one in his side. The pain there was worse than normal today. But he pushed it down.

Legolas followed Kristy out the door, saluting a brief farewell to Estel and Tauriel, and they took the elevator down. The dropping sensation made him feel even worse. He was weak, sick, dizzy and light-headed. And Kristy only made it worse.

. . . . . .

 **Thank you for reading, and please review if you have the time. I like reading them… :))**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Ah ha! Still here!**

 **Even after a job change, a new car, and an** _ **epic**_ **computer ordeal… still hanging on. Sorry for not being able to update more often. I've been kind of re-writing the earlier chapters though. You know, glitchy spots and stuff. It's been so tiring and stressful, the new job though. I think things are picking up now!**

 **Dreamer: Hehe. Skin…yaash. What a powerful thing, it is.**

 **AndreaGreanleaves: I'm so happy you like the story. I was smiling ear to ear for an hour after reading it! No kidding. Thank you. It made my day.**

 **Spriggan: Chocolate. Mm…thanks. I think! xD**

 **Me and Not You 1001: Legolas and Kristy on the same page…It seems like they're never quite that, doesn't it? I think it's because they're not where they're supposed to be. Even if Middle Earth is a warzone, it's still Legolas' home.**

 **Guest: Aww, thanks for the review. It makes me so happy. :))**

 **Nice guys: I'm glad you liked that one. Legolas can be so….urrrggh, sometimes. He just feels so protective of her, he can't imagine putting her in a situation like that. It's like a soldier of our world taking his girlfriend to war with him! It seems insane.**

 **Elf of Mischief: He can't help his silly human body. Lol. He's not used to it either, even after all this time.**

 **wickedGreen13: Hehe. I just loved your review! All your guesses on what's wrong with Legolas, you're actually pretty close. Don't worry, I'm not planning to kill him. That would be…bad. And not good bad, either! Bad bad. Couldn't do that.**

. . . . . . . .

 _A true friend is someone who's there for you when he'd rather be anywhere else. – Len Wein_

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. . . . . .

Kris stood out on the windy curb in front of her apartment building. Wind whistled through her hair and she shivered, folding her arms. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me..." she whispered.

Legolas raised an eyebrow. A long, shiny black limousine purred to a stop. He stared in the shiny black windows at his feet, but only his own distorted reflection peered back.

"He's going all out, huh?" Kristy muttered, and Legolas silently agreed.

"Kristine Anderson?" The window cracked open a little. The voice was brisk and curt. "Mr. Luke Smith?"

"That's right."

A pause followed, before the sound of the door-locks opening _._ Kristy hesitated getting inside. She lifted her chin to peer at him in the dark, and she whispered fiercely. "I'm still mad at you for calling me a slut."

"I did not-"

"-But you won't leave me tonight," She cut him off. "if I don't want you to, right?"

Legolas sighed. "With Roger? Alone?" he half-smiled, feeling his heart pulse in his ribs. "Never."

"Promise?"

Legolas hesitated, because he wasn't sure if his simple word was enough. Then he kissed his two fingers, touched them gently to her forehead. "Promise."

Kristy grinned and Legolas swung the door open. "After you, m'lady."

"Thanks." She ducked inside.

Legolas blinked in the dim lights of the car, slamming the door shut after them. He slid up beside Kristy and lifted an arm around her, folding his long legs. The first thing he noticed was the Marine sitting across from them, absolutely still and rigid. Then he noticed the alcohol sloshing and tinkling gently in a pocket on the door. Kristy looked taken aback at the grand surroundings; it was all leather and polished chrome.

"What a jovial escort." He muttered sarcastically, avoiding the soldier's eyes, which he couldn't see under a dark blue, rimmed cap. He sat still as a black statue.

Kris followed his example and used Westron. "Escort?" she scoffed. "More like prison guard."

Legolas agreed, but he didn't openly do so. Instead he forced a small, feigned smile. "Prison could be less grand though. Hm?"

"Wow, I guess. Who paid for this?" Kris asked the man sitting across from them.

His mouth barely moved. "Major Roger Sterling."

Legolas felt Kristy stiffen.

"Major?"

No answer.

Kristy leaned closer to Legolas and whispered loudly. "How is he a major already? Rog never told me that."

"Is that a rank in your military?"

She nodded vigorously.

"Promotion, ma'am." The marine said nondescriptly. "That's generally how it works."

"Promotion." She echoed lamely, folding her arms a little defensively and sitting back in the seat. "What did he do to deserve that?"

"I'm not privy to say, ma'am."

Kristy frowned.

"Keep calm." Legolas instructed in Westron.

Kristy hissed back just as quiet. "Well I can't help it. I've got a bad feeling."

"I know." He agreed. "I feel it too. But there's nothing to do about it now."

" _Really_ bad feeling." She insisted. "I mean, _major_? How does that happen?"

Legolas risked a glance up at the escort. He couldn't see the man's eyes from under his dark blue, rimmed cap. He could just make out a shaved jaw and stony, grim-set mouth as street lights whizzed past.

And suddenly, on a suspicious impulse, Legolas glanced at Kristy. "Let's push the guard out and make love on the seat."

She blinked. "Uh…what?"

Legolas just sighed. The guard didn't even flinch. "Never mind. I wanted to see if he understood us."

"Westron? How could he?"

"I…do not know." He admitted. "I'm not sure of anything anymore."

Kristy glanced down, laughing a little sickly. "I know what you mean. I'm so nervous."

Legolas felt her pulse pound relentlessly through her veins as he sat close to her. It almost rivaled his own. He looked at her in the dark, felt her warmth close to him. He watched her mouth fidget, so close he could almost feel the softness of her hair. Familiar. Precious. _Why was she doing this?_ For him? Was she so worried for him that she would risk this danger? Arrest?

 _And disturbing how these feelings came over him so fast._

A moment later-ignoring the man watching-he enveloped her side in a warm hug. "All will be fine." He assured her. Then, he continued in English. "And we'll have a grand time."

Kristy laughed, dropping her head to rest against his. "Glad you think so."

And so they arrived at the club. It was a massive, crowded club with a relentless beat and flashing, spinning lights. They glowed green, blue, purple and she had to focus to make sense of them. Kristy hung onto Legolas' arm as the Marine nearly pushed them past the gates, ahead of the waiting line.

As soon as they were inside though, Kristy hissed loudly. "Hey, come here!" She looked around frantically for some place to go. Another line of shadowed sweaty people led the way to the restroom. But it wasn't private enough.

"What-"

"Out here." She ducked aside, pushing past more people and dragging Legolas with her. There was a terrace outside, an open veranda.

"Kristy, what are we doing?" he asked as the door slammed behind them.

"I have something for you." she turned around.

Legolas shuddered in the cool breeze. He shifted so it blew at his back though, and sheltered Kristy from the cold.

"Um, so we can keep in touch." She lifted a small device and held it out to him.

"A phone?" he asked, incredulous.

Kris nodded.

"I don't need that."

"But…" she trailed off, before saying quicker. "But please take it. I don't want to lose track of you."

"I said I wouldn't leave you." he murmured softly, clenching his arms in the cold. _Why did he feel it like this?_ It felt like he had no flesh or coat to shield him from the cool breath. And he was weak, weak and tired. Exhausted even. _Why_?

"Just take it anyway." She pushed it into his pants pocket. "You know how to text. I got it for you. Just…just please accept it."

Legolas sighed. "Very well. But I'm not privy to your spending money on me uselessly."

Kristy shrugged. "Call me stupid."

Legolas almost smiled. "Can we go inside instead?"

Now that he mentioned it, she realized how hard and stiff his arms were. Kris blinked in surprise. It was cold out, sure, but…But usually Legolas was the last to feel it! Usually it was him keeping _her_ warm. Kristy reached out and rubbed his hand vigorously.

"O-oh sure."

Legolas shook his head. "And does this mean you are no longer angry with me?" he placed a hand in the small of her back and lightly pushed her back toward the doors. A rush of warm, even hot air assailed him as they stepped inside and he welcomed it. Which said something. It reeked of alcohol, sweat, and music that was too loud.

Apparently, Kristy didn't hear him. Either that or she did, and didn't care to answer.

"Krissy!"

Two hands grabbed her around the waist and Kristy let out a yelp.

"Finally made it, huh? What about-" Roger trailed off.

Legolas stared at him from over Kristy's head—no mean feat with the heels she balanced on. The floor thrummed with the mass of people and the beat of the music reverberated off the walls. And there was tension in the air, so thick he could have punched a hole in it.

"And the watch-puppy lives up to his name." Roger said just loud enough to be heard, very dryly.

"Only as long as foxes are near." Legolas smiled.

"Come on. Let's dance." Roger ignored him, starting to conspicuously convulse in time to the music. Kristy kept her eyes up, above where his hips revolved suggestively. "No time like the present, Krissy."

"I…"

"Go." Legolas said reluctantly. "I'll get us something drinkable."

He was vaguely surprised he didn't see more hesitancy in her eyes when she ran off with him. Legolas wove his wave through the crowds milling around the walls anyway. A moving, shifting mass filled the center. He found his way to the bar.

"Hey handsome." The tender leaned over and grinned at him. "What'll it be?"

Legolas blinked, taking an instant to realize she was talking to him. "I…three drinks, please."

"Shots?"

He hesitated. "What is a shot?"

'Aggy', her name tag said, held up a tiny glass as example. "This?"

"That looks fine." He nodded. _Small glass._ Good. He didn't need a drunk Kristy on his hands. Not in that dress.

Legolas slid the three glasses together and leaned back, waiting for the song to end. He watched Kristy's hair fly as they danced. Roger maneuvered himself behind her, just one of the flashing shadows in the blur, and he folded his arms. For being 'gay', as Kristine called it, he certainly didn't dance like it. Roger had both his hands on her hips. In time to the music, they made a rhythm that put a frown on Legolas. It wasn't hard to see from here.

And then, he narrowed his eyes more.

Kristy, in the middle of the dancefloor, looked back at Roger's hand on her hip, covered it with her own, and lifted the other in the air. Legolas snatched one of the glasses in frustration, threw his head back, and downed it. _Damn Marine. He-_ Legolas grabbed the bar suddenly, coughing. _Sweet Manwe!_

It was stronger than he thought. These humans must have learned a thing or two since he last drank from them.Still…it was nothing compared to the strongest brew in Mirkwood. Legolas had another, and by then, it seemed the song was over.

"Had fun, did we?" Legolas smiled a little sourly as they came to the bar, breathless and grinning.

"No, I just pretended to." Kristy laughed, elbowing Roger in the side.

Legolas frowned, but ignored the comment. "Here." He handed the two their glasses.

"Thanks."

Legolas didn't know how long the night went on like that. Soon a host of Marines descended on the two, and they were a mass of shouting, drinking, laughing faces. Most of the brawny men had women on their arms. But it was as if with some unspoken rule, Kristy was the center of attention. As if their sole purpose was to make her feel welcome.

And then, his ears perked and he shot his head up.

"Luke! I…I'm gonna go for a quick ride with Rog." Kristy ran up and stumbled. She caught herself on Legolas. Rog walked slowly behind, looking very self-satisfied. "He has a _mustang_." She slurred dramatically. "A new one."

"Kristine, I-"

And she looked up. Legolas let his protest fade and Kris winked slyly. She gripped his arm with both hands, stared at him intently, before tipping up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek.

"I'm fine." She whispered faintly in his ear. "Really."

"Come on, babe."

"Let's go!"

Legolas watched them go with a sinking feeling in his stomach…and this time, not the pain in his chest, side, or anything else. She was drunk. And leaving. _With Roger._

"We'll be back!" Kristy shouted from the exit. Rog grabbed her arm and yanked her on.

But hopefully not as drunk as she pretended.

He rolled up in a jet black mustang flagged in crimson. Blood red LEDs lit the inside console and the steering wheel. Kris wrapped herself in a coat and stared, standing in front of the glass as he pulled to a stop.

"Hop in." he walked around the front and offered the door.

The night was crisp outside, but not cold. She shivered, partly because a small share of her felt fear for Roger and his officers, for his military and the new car she didn't know he had. Partly because she felt a little self-conscious getting in his car, drinking so much, wearing this black dress and strapped stilettos… But mostly because Legolas was in the back of her mind, staring at her with worry.

He had every right to worry.

"Are you okay?" Rog slammed the door shut after him and sped out of the parking lot.

She nodded a little.

"You look great tonight, Kristy."

She nodded stiffly again, still staring fixatedly at the console. Her heart thundered in her ears.

"So…" he said quietly, all laughter dead in the car. "What was with the kiss about back there?"

Kris frowned. "Um, what?"

"You kissed…Luke."

Kristy smiled. "Oh, yeah. I know I told you he's a creep, the other night on the phone. But he's not. I was just…a little upset."

"Yeah, from half-freezing on some windy bridge." He agreed.

"Yeah."

And then, a few quiet moments later, listening to the purr of the engine and the streetlights streaming past, he spoke again. "Kristy, you don't…feel anything for him."

Kris smiled.

"I mean, it's not serious. You know that, right?"

Kristy almost laughed. "I know very few things, Rog. And that's not one of them."

"He's no good for you, girl." Rog said softly, but deadly serious.

Kristy shook her head. "He's the best thing that ever happened to me. He's…everything."

Kris thought he was going to argue, for a minute. She wanted him to, to convince him that whatever opinions he had about Legolas were _wrong._ He was a man, a prince, so good it hurt sometimes. _Didn't he see it?_ It radiated off of him, as if he were light and magic rolled into one.

Rog's face darkened in the faint light of the car and she thought he was angry. But he didn't say anything. He just gripped the steering wheel harder, turned a corner, and the ride was a very short one.

. . .

Legolas heard Kristy's voice, staring into the bottom of his empty glass. He tilted his head up and watched the group congregate again as the two returned. A gust of cold air blew in at their entrance. There was something off between Kristy and Roger, almost imperceptible. They were off to the side now, coming to the bar.

Suddenly, he realized Roger and another, one he recognized from the mall cafeteria were going to engage in a…drinking contest?

"What are the stakes?" he spoke up suddenly.

At first they didn't hear him, or didn't seem to. But it turned out Rog did.

"What do you want em' to be?" he said, quieting the others' chatter with a quick hand. He stared at Legolas with dark eyes. "You interested?"

Legolas wove his way through the crowd. He leaned on the bar then, apparently thought about it (though Kristy, looking at him, had a feeling he'd already made up his mind), then said. "A dance with Kristy. Uninterrupted." He smiled suggestively.

Before Kris could even protest, Roger said. "Done. First drink on me." He passed Legolas a glass without even hesitating.

"But-"

"Quiet." He snapped at Kris.

Legolas paused before swallowing, long enough to throw a glare in his direction for his sharp command. Kristy pulled her arm out of the Marine's and inconspicuously shifted nearer Legolas.

And so they drank…one, three. Three became five. Five became ten.

Legolas was starting to feel it. But he was determined to win this. He didn't know why. Maybe he was lashing out at Kristy apparently having such a good time with these Marines. Or maybe that this man thought he had some claim on her even when he lied to her. And despite whatever Kristy said, worried of or thought, she cared about the man. Even when he used such a precious thing to further his own ends…when he didn't love her.

It made Legolas angry. And so he drank.

To his surprise, Roger slammed the eleventh drink down with a gasp. "Enough! I give up. You win." –pant- "You win."

Legolas caught his breath. The alcohol was rushing to his head and he forced it down. "Kristine?" he said before anyone could say another word. "W-will you join me?"

She looked at him, standing in the crowd of men, laughing girls on their arms, drinks sloshing and sliding across the bar. There was something…incredible about the sight. The sheer difference, how he stood apart. He just waited there, blinking, letting the shadows and spinning lights pass over him.

And suddenly, before she could even breathe, much less answer, the lights dropped. Everything went black and she started in surprise. The drink froze in her hand. She was acutely aware of the cold, the condensation, the bar behind her.

Then, the music started again. A deep pulsing beat…a quiet, breathy voice seeped into her ears and she felt the base hum in the floor. Glowing pinpricks, blue, pink, green laser lights revolved off the walls and she almost stumbled. Legolas took her hand. It was blacker, and Kris followed him blindly, feeling panicky and flustered in the dark.

But mostly because Legolas was. She sensed a need, _anger_ …in the way he stalked out onto the dancefloor.

"Legolas." She said. And suddenly, just as he whirled around, as if to say something at her, Kristy stepped forward and crushed herself against his chest.

Legolas blinked.

"Thank you." she whispered.

"I…why?" he blinked. As the deep bass played on, he glanced up, realizing the Marines dispersed into the crowd again…except Roger. He sat at the bar and watched them.

"For rescuing me." She hugged him harder, as if it were obvious.

"You mean…you wantedto be taken from them?" he whispered into her hair.

And Kristy looked up. "I couldn't take it anymore."

Legolas stared in disbelief. "I…"

"Oh god." She whispered with a slow, spreading grin. "You didn't…you didn't think I was _enjoying_ that _._ Did you?"

Legolas, swaying slowly with her in the midst of the spinning lights, felt a little sheepish. "I was starting to wonder." He admitted.

Kristy just shook her head. Legolas smiled, feeling the Marine's eyes burning into his neck. But he felt the lights more, the heat of her thin dress, and the pleasant tingle of alcohol in his veins. He'd been drunk only once in his life, on his majority day. But this was better. He didn't want it to control him.

And besides, it won him a dance.

"Come on." He said softer yet.

She couldn't fight if she wanted to. He turned so his body shielded her from Roger's eyes. And he guided her movements, slowly. Soon he was in the midst of a crowd, and yet he didn't feel them. The lights made him feel only a little off-balance. Legolas shut his eyes and pressed the side of his face against her smooth hair.

Legolas cracked his eyes open again and looked at Roger then, as he sat on the stool. The marine rested his head in one hand, staring at them. Legolas maintained eye contact, showing him the difference between them. Himself and the marine. Some pretended to feel. And some felt.

Legolas swayed from side to side, taking it slow, let the still, dancing blurs at the edge of his vision stay that way…insignificant blurs. Legolas caressed the small of her back as she swayed against him, before guiding her other hand to his neck. Kristy dropped her face against him, and her fingers slid up into his hair.

"Closer…" he whispered.

Legolas saw the expression on Roger. He was angry. He couldn't fathom why this was happening; he wanted to stop it. Legolas didn't. Right here, now, he wanted this thing more than ever. Legolas spread his hand and slid it down her back, made a clawing motion with his fingers, inhaling her scent in his lungs.

"I think we failed tonight." Legolas whispered into her ear.

"Maybe." She mumbled, curling and uncurling her hands in his hair. "Roger…wouldn't tell me what he knows."

"We failed in that too, then." He agreed, hating himself for how secretly glad he was. "I vowed I wouldn't steal you away from him tonight."

Kristy smiled, watching the spinning lights reflect off the polished floor. "He said I should stay away from you."

"You should listen." He whispered seriously.

Kristy felt his hands tighten the moment he said it. She felt the heat of his hands on her back, the faint line of roughness on his palm from years of archery. She felt his warm, quick breathing. And she pressed herself against him, letting his hands cover the break in her dress completely. "Are you trying to cover me up?" she laughed softly.

"No." Legolas rode the heady sensation from the liquor. He dropped his head and said into her ear with a grin. "…just trying to touch as much of you as possible."

She laughed against him and he chuckled. But the moment was cut short, because on the rise of a voice echoing words of never-ending love, want, emptiness, swelling and filling the spinning lights around their faces, he spilled out.

"Kristy," he hesitated. "I have to tell you something."

She looked up with just her eyes.

"You…asked me if there's a choice." Legolas said finally because…because he didn't know why. But a small, very powerful, very miserable part of him dreaded the thought of talking about this, and yet he dreaded _not_ saying it more. "You asked me last night. Do you remember?"

Kristy froze in his arms, looking up, before nodding slowly. "I…remember."

"There is no choice."

Kristy froze and she couldn't pretend to dance with him anymore. Her heart stopped in her chest…and then started to tattoo a relentless rhythm against her ribs.

"Aragorn," he said softly. "he will do anything to get back home. He has people, his love. And I have my own! But…"

Kristy stroked her thumb through his hair, and she rested the side of her face against his, breathing a little faster. "But?"

"But…" he whispered softly. "I'll miss you."

Kristy choked on her intake of breath. _That's it?_

"I will miss you so terribly." He spilled out in a rush, into her hair. "I have to leave. I know I must…if there be a way. I _must._ But I fear it will tear me apart."

Kristy dropped her eyes, feeling panic. _No choice._ It was over? He'd decided already? She couldn't talk about it with him. Not here. Not now. "I…I have something to tell you."

Legolas nodded, searching her eyes no matter how hard she tried to look away. "Yes?"

"I…I," Kristy broke off and hiccupped. "left Roger's car door unlocked."

Legolas blinked, feeling a little taken-aback. "I…what?"

"Um," she sniffed, wiping furiously at her eyes. "I left the door unlocked. I wanted to search his car and-and see if I could f-find something. So I left it open."

Realization dawned and he nodded slowly. "I…of course, Kristy. We can go."

Kristy nodded vigorously. Her cutting him off hurt him, she realized. She could see it in his eyes. He didn't understand. But Kris couldn't help it. Right now-maybe it was handling dear, fake Roger all night, the alcohol, the strange faces-but she felt incredibly forlorn. Legolas leaving, being left all alone when it happened, it was the last thing she wanted to think about.

"Hey!" a voice cut them off just as they turned to leave.

Kristy looked back and Legolas froze, staring ahead.

"Not leaving so soon, are we?" Roger asked again from behind.

Kris thought fast. "N-no, 'course not." She blinked fast to clear her eyes and the stinging tears. "I'm, um, just going out for a smoke. That's all."

The Marine nodded. "Well…don't be long."

. . . . . . . .

"Try this." Kristy hissed, handing Legolas a hairpin.

The two were crouched in the front seat of Roger's mustang, pulling on the locked glovebox. It was wedged open on one side, but they couldn't _quite_ get it open. Legolas tried yanking on the door, but only hit his head on Kristy's arm.

"Sorry."

He frowned, staring at the thing in frustration. "If I pry this out all the way, can you fit your hand in there? See what's inside?"

Kristy thought about it. "I can try."

Legolas braced his boot on the dash, pulled the door open as far as he could get it. Kristy grimaced and squirmed her fingers inside. And with some prying, she started a commentary…

"Feels like a flashlight," she said, "um…a candy wrapper, some cloth. Don't know what that is. And uh…some papers?" Kristy struggled to look in the tiny, black gap. "It's a folder of some kind."

"Try to get it out." He whispered, straining to keep the door open, even enough to get her fingertips inside.

And then, with the help of the bent hairpin, she managed to pull the folder out. To her surprise, it was actually two stapled together. And the label read…

"Oh sweet Lord." Kris whispered.

Legolas pushed her hair aside, trying to see in the dark. "What?"

"It's me!" she fumbled overhead for the light. A faint yellow glow lit up the front seat, and they huddled closer, staring at the two folders. "Kristine Anderson. And… 1?"

"Is that a number?" Legolas asked in disbelief.

Kris opened the folder, and to her further shock, a blurry snapshot of Legolas was pinned to the inside. There was another one of him standing on their balcony, looking out over the city. One of him crossing a parking lot…

At least a dozen papers…medical records, blood test results, other things she couldn't guess at, filled the back folder. She didn't like the hospital sheets. There were red lines, doctor's notes filling the border, a strip of tape monitoring his heartbeat with red circles around spikes on the sheet.

"Why are you labeled as Number 1?" she grimaced in confusion. It didn't make sense. Legolas was in perfect health!

The elf just flipped through the pages, as if in a daze.

"See if there are more of these." he instructed, taking the folders and tucking them under his leg.

Kristy nodded quickly, but when she tried again, she only came up with one more. "There's more, but I can't reach them. These two were in front." She opened the folder. She didn't recognize the woman inside, but her number was 53.

"Do you think he's…hunting these people down?" Legolas asked softly, feeling a little numb. _Fifty-three._ If he was 1, and she was fifty-three, how many like him were stranded? Hundreds? _Thousands_?

Legolas felt sick.

"Well I don't think he's wishing them all a new year." Kris muttered. "I-I think I should get these anyway." She said, pulling her phone out of her purse. She clicked open the camera, held the papers into the light, and started filming them.

"I cannot stay." Legolas said grimly. "'Tis only a matter of time until he assembles his soldiers."

"You're not going _anywhere_ without me." She snapped.

"Well, what do you suggest?" he asked. "Estel and Tauriel cannot stay either. He may have files on _them."_

"They don't even have names." Kristy said in disgust. "Look at this. They're just numbers to him!"

"Come on." Legolas grabbed the files from her the instant she finished filming. He pushed them back into the glove-box, slammed it shut, and clutched her arm. "We'll get a motel tonight. Sign under another name."

Kris didn't like the sound of it, but running after Legolas, slipping in her heels on the wet pavement, she was panicking. Arguing didn't even cross her mind. Legolas flagged down a taxi and pushed her inside.

"Pack your things." He muttered. "We won't be coming back."

. . . .

 **A/N: Again…so sorry for the wait. But I've gone without reviews all this time too…so have a heart? :)**

 **And oh! How many of you have watched 'Kate and Leopold'?! What an awesome movie. Reminds me of a fanfiction. Hehe**. **x))**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Hello! A little later than I planned, and not completely proofread (I'll do that this weekend), but I wanted to get this up for you guys as soon as I could. Thank you for all the reviews. I just adore them.**

 **Guest: Love. Ooh, what a nice word. 'Like' is okay. But love…? :D**

 **Guest: Oh thank you for the review. I'm so happy you're liking it!**

 **Dreamer: Good to hear from you. Here I am again with a new update! Do you translate my story, or do you know Portuguese and English too? Anyway, obrigado meu caro! (If that's right:)**

. . . . . . . .

" _There's no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is having lots to do and not doing it." – Mary Little_

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The motel they settled on—or Legolas did-was a four story, older complex that looked like it might have been built in the seventies. It was actually two buildings in the shape of a triangle, with a porch on each story joining the two sides.

'What a shack' were Kristy's first words.

Legolas pushed the door open, followed closely by Kris. He went straight to the table in the corner and dumped his grocery bags. The rest, the ones they packed hurriedly from the apartment were in the same corner. Shenzie was tied to a nearby tail, tail wagging incessantly and eyes flitting back and forth.

Something about the structure of this place appealed to Legolas. The balconies outside reminded him of the porches running the trees of Mirkwood, maybe. Either way, he'd insisted on this place as soon as they saw it. And Kristy wasn't happy.

"Of _course_ they wouldn't offer food in this dump." she said dryly.

"Never mind." Legolas helped her unpack.

"You have such awful taste." She insisted.

"Best not argue with this elf's second sense." Estel spoke up from behind. "If he found this place, we certainly can abide in it."

"Yeah…or something terrible would happen!" Kristy waved the sandwich she'd started to make in the air. "Like having to buy our own _food._ "

"You haven't been cooking enough, anyway." He shot back. "You've been leaving me to fend for myself ever since we road up to the cabin."

"Oh horrors. Lowered to manual labor like we surfs!"

Legolas made to jump across the table at her, but she shrieked and dove to safety. He decided to ignore the comment, helping with the sandwiches instead …And when she deemed it safe again, Kristy helped, bumping him lightly every chance she had.

. . . . . . .

It was late that night, and still quiet.

Kristy rested on the couch, curled up in the armrest with a window at her back. Faint light streamed through the smudged glass and she curled and uncurled her fingers. Streetlights. She stared at her fingers' shadow as they moved: open, closed.

"-Is that very interesting?" she heard Legolas murmur from somewhere beside.

She wasn't sure how long he'd been there. She didn't look up.

Slowly, Legolas sat down beside. Kristy felt the depression in the cushion as he did, and it made her feel less solemn…for some reason. A few moments of quiet passed. And then, staring at her from the edge of his eyes, Legolas covered the moving hand with his own.

"Kristine?"

She stared at the floor, shrouded in darkness. The high was gone from packing…running, moving out. All that was left was a hollow, empty reality. And it made her feel alone.

"You dwell on Roger." He said softly. It wasn't a question.

Still nothing. Kristy just nodded a little; the movement was so tiny he almost missed it.

"There is nothing you could have done," he said softly, "to have avoided any of this. You know that."

"Really."

"Yes. You were his target, you and I, from the beginning. He was in a sense, hunting us. There was nothing to be done about it."

"Hunting." She scoffed. "What an awful word."

"But accurate." Legolas said, before drawing the hand slowly into his lap. He let it rest in the crook of his thighs where he slowly, gently rubbed it in his fingers. "You knew your government were hunting those like me…like Estel and Tauriel."

"But Roger-" she broke off, taking a quick breath. "But Roger, h-he was my _friend._ "

Legolas was going to speak. Answer after answer flitted through his head, staring at her, but he didn't choose any of them. They all seemed so callous. Instead, he chose the simple words. "I know."

"I-I mean, I…" Kris started up, but broke off. She swiped her nose with the back of her hand, and settled for staring miserably at the moth-eaten carpet, as if baffled. "I thought I knew him. He's a good man, Legolas. I-I remember when he went overseas. He was so brave. H-he said he was going to protect us, his family, his country. That's what he wanted to _do._ "

"How could he fall so far?" Legolas asked, surprised at how cold it sounded. But to his further surprise, she said immediately.

"Maybe he hasn't!" The words were out before she could stop. She didn't want to. Kris lifted her head to peer up at him. "Maybe that's what he's still _doing_. He's protecting us in-in his own," Kris scrunched her nose, "messed-up kinda way. Maybe he just wants to help."

Legolas smiled faintly. Here they were in a dingy, cold motel in the heart of an even dingier neighborhood. He could feel the cool air as it hovered by the window. There was a single, narrow bed and a couch that felt crusty. She was hunted now, like a criminal or one of them, like himself. And she was defending the man who put them here? Legolas sighed. She could forgive anyone anything.

Of course she could. She was Kristy.

A few moments passed, in which Legolas leaned closer, infinitesimally so. He was just close enough to rest his arm on the back of the couch, to comb the stray hairs from her cheek. So soft. So warm. "… And that is a thing I love in you, precious thing." Legolas said very, very softly.

Kristy didn't flinch at his arm enveloping her, or his words. But she blinked at him, staring at his knees.

Legolas realized his slip. "Belittling _all_ my bad-feelings with kind words." he chuckled, hastily covered it with a harder, less tender smile. "Of course you would, Kristy. I mean, how can I hate the man when you love him so?"

She shrugged, turning a brighter shade of color.

"Yes _?_ " he pressed, hoping she'd laugh and he could forget about his mistake, brush it off, pretend he didn't say that word to her in any context. Love. Mistakes like that were crucial! " _Well?_ " He grinned and flicked her ribs with his fingers. She was delightfully ticklish.

Kristy choked and scrambled away. "No!"

"Then go to bed." He said, pointing past the rickety table to the blankets Tauriel occupied. They agreed earlier that Tauriel and Kristy should share the bed, Estel would have the couch, and Legolas would take some blankets to the reclining chair. It was lumpy and haggard looking, but he was an elf. He _should_ be an elf. He could sleep anywhere.

Besides, Estel had slept on a chair long enough. It was about time he had a decent night's sleep.

"Dwelling on it will not help us any, little one." He said more seriously.

And Aragorn emerged from the bathroom.

"Go." Legolas prodded, deciding to chase her from the couch so the ranger could have it. Estel glanced at the two a little strangely. "Hurry up. Get in."

"I don't need you to tuck me in." she slapped him off, recoiling away from him. Legolas ignored it.

"Go to sleep, Kristy."

"I can't."

"You _will_."

And so…by the time two o'clock rolled around, every light was switched out and Legolas was left staring at the ceiling. He listened to the ticking of the clock. Minute after minute passed, covered only by a blanket and feeling strangely…hollow. He chased sleep but it ran.

 _How did he end up here? …_ On the run? Hiding from a man he barely knew? A government he had no hate for? It all felt surreal.

But they were all afraid. He knew that. The storms, they were an anomaly that no one seemed able to deal with. They couldn't understand them. They couldn't control them, or the souls caught in them. That was the unknown: it was dangerous. It couldn't be controlled or rationalized. This country was closing in on itself for defense. It was something to be avoided like…like-

Legolas turned his head, staring at the faint rise and fall of Kristy under the covers.

…like the irrational feelings clenched in his chest. Yes, they were dangerous too. He knew they were there even now. They made him think about things, things that should be forever and couldn't be. They made him have hope that the impossible was possible. But Kristy was mortal. She lived in a world utterly foreign to his. His was a war torn battle zone, and hers was a crowded mess of steel and lines. Lines that could never be crossed.

Legolas shivered, drawing the blanket up over his shoulders. And suddenly, he felt incredibly alone.

But then there was a touch to his arm and he jumped violently.

 _Kristy._

Frustration and a brief moment of confusion rushed through him. He dropped his head back again in relief. Kris kneeled by the side of the recliner and put her chin on the leather armrest.

"What is it?" he asked in confusion. _Why in Manwe's name wasn't she asleep?_

Kristy didn't answer. She just looked at him, as if he should be able to read her mind. She held herself in her sweater.

And then, realization dawned and Legolas sighed. Oh, he knew what she wanted. She wanted to cuddle against him in the covers.

 _No_!Too many wrong choices, too many times of letting this thing close to him. How many? In all the weeks he'd been here…growing, recovering, living with her. How many times did he do things like this? He let them have these moments and they became precious to him. Without even realizing it. Without meaning to.

"Oh, Kristine..." He sighed again, tilting his head to stare wearily at her face.

She just smiled hopefully. She didn't like to sleep in the same bed as Tauriel; Legolas knew that. Or maybe she was cold. Something rational and hopefully platonic.

"Oh, alright." He groaned softly, shifting over and lifting the coverlet in invitation.

Kristy didn't smile again, to his surprise. She let out a rush of air in relief and got up to slide in so fast, he almost didn't register it. Until her warm body was pushed up against his and she buried her face in his chest.

Legolas almost sighed. _Why_ did she do this to him? Yes, he wanted to enjoy the time he had with her. But this was torture!

"I couldn't sleep." She admitted into his chest. "I was cold and…and…I feel empty when I can't hold something."

Legolas almost laughed. As if she'd echoed his own feelings exactly. "Manwe, I do love you, precious thing _._ " He sighed in his own tongue.

"Please don't _do_ that." Kristy said. Her breathing was faster than his, probably from staring at him in the dark, heart pounding erratically in her ribs and waiting for an answer. But it slowed down as she calmed. It took a half an hour of agony, tossing and turning to come here and ask for what she wanted. But now that she felt him, could listen to his heartbeat in his chest...it was all better.

"What?"

"Talking to me when you know I don't understand." she insisted. "Why do you do it?"

"Why do you think?" he asked automatically.

Kristy didn't answer, but he felt her breathing stop a few moments. "I…I think you don't know what to say."

Nothing. But probably true.

"Legolas?"

He made a very quiet, responsive sound.

"Are you upset with me?"

Legolas blinked. "For what?"

"For…" she shrugged uncomfortably, fidgeting with his shirt and glancing down. An awkward movement, considering their positions, "you know, for being here."

"I let you here." He said in answer.

A little while passed. Legolas could almost feel the thoughts as they passed through her head. _Because you couldn't say no._ Because you don't want to hurt me.

"I know." She whispered.

And then, Legolas shook his head and sighed. He enveloped her in his arms completely. "Simply put, I want to enjoy my time with you, Kristy. Don't make me say more."

"… Okay." She whispered under his chin. And then, out of nowhere, she said. "I-I just had to hear your breathing. It helps me sleep. I know it's stupid. I-"

"'Tis alright. Come to me whenever you need." He assured her. "It is alright."

"I'm sorry I keep doing this to you." Kristy said. She was going to leave it at that. But it just didn't feel complete. She wanted to tell him what she felt. All of it. And so, after a moment of hesitation, she whispered in a small voice, "I just…I just feel like you're slipping through my fingers."

Legolas shook his head. "What?"

"Everything keeps changing!" Kris spilled out in a whisper. "I mean, R-roger, Estel and _Tauriel_? I can't keep up. I feel like you're leaving me behind, a-and I don't _want_ that. I don't want to be alone again."

Legolas felt a sharp sting in his throat. He grimaced, fingers shaking as he processed those words. They made him angry. He didn't want that either, for her or himself. But he couldn't stop it. No matter how hard he tried, he felt like he was leaving her behind. And it felt wrong.

"Quiet, precious thing." He forced out quietly. "Just sleep. Please. For me?"

And when she didn't say more, he kissed the top of her head and held her tighter. She _wasn't_ alone. Not yet. And he didn't want her to feel like it. For him, it felt like he was already in a deserted wasteland.

. . . . . . . .

"You! Seal off all the exits." Major Roger Sterling grabbed a passing Marine and threw a finger at the flashing sign. Wind and rain blew through his hair and he slammed his car door shut. "Barnes, get a truck and wait for me out front."

"Yes, sir."

The party evaporated within minutes. Roger didn't bother taking the files Luke and Kristy had seen. It was too late now, anyway. He was so _stupid._

Roger muttered a curse as he walked around to the street front. Barnes was in the driver's seat and when he jumped inside, took off with a roar.

"I shouldn't have let them out of my sight!" He growled. His knuckles turned white and he grabbed the seat restraints.

"Rog, that's not helping. Don't worry. We'll get em' back."

"I know that." He spat. "But Kristy, she…" he trailed off. She would know everything now.

Roger let the streetlights whiz past his face and he stared angrily at his hands. He thought he had tonight in control! Dammit. He'd had nothing to drink tonight but water, to keep his head clear. The men in his personal squad had done the same. Even his contest with Luke was fake…all a plan to lull them into security.

But it hadn't worked! None of it. They got away.

"Where are we going?" Barnes finally spoke up, carefully hedging his voice to placate Roger's frown.

"Kristy's apartment. You know the one."

He blinked in confusion. A minute passed and he didn't quite dare ask, but after another moment went by and the major didn't explain, Barnes started. "But how do we-"

"She doesn't _smoke_." Rog interrupted in a beat. "Alright? They were lying to get away. I went out the other side, thinking they were running. But they went to my car instead. They saw the files."

"Luke's?"

"Yes." He muttered softly.

And then again, maybe it was for the best! Maybe it was time she knew what kind of a…creature she was harboring. Roger glanced at the speedometer and the dark, mostly deserted streets. They were speeding across town as the rain pounded relentlessly on the windshield, wipers beating frantically back and forth. They could barely see.

He was just running through every possible turn in his head. They could run. But if that was it, Kristy would never live a life in this country again. He hoped desperately she was smarter than that. Or, they could stay and be hoping to talk things out with him, convince him to let them go maybe. That was a stupid plan.

And then again, maybe Kristy had let Luke go.

Yes, maybe that was it. She'd finally seen sense. She'd seen this Luke Smith for what he was…an alien, a liar, maybe a spy sent to infiltrate their system, overthrow their entire way of life. That was it! She'd be sitting in her apartment alone. Luke would be gone and Roger could hunt the man free of his conscience. The thought made him feel better.

But alas, it was too good to be true.

When they arrived, not only was Kristy's silver car gone, but after bursting through the door, they found the rooms ransacked and empty.

"Idiot girl." He spat, throwing a book splayed across the table. A violent rip of thunder rattled the windows and flashed across the ceiling.

Barnes didn't flinch.

"What is she _thinking_?" Roger whirled around, gripping his fists in fury. "Come on! We'll look over the street cameras and follow the car. They won't get away this time, Barnes. You can count on it."

He was fully prepared to do just that. It would take a few hours, but they'd get the job done. It was when they made it to the street that it began. There was a ripple or a murmur. Roger froze where he stood, half way out the glass doors.

It rumbled under his feet and he felt the beginning. _No…_ Rain pounded the pavement and he took in short gasps of the cold air. It smelled sharp like, like…

"Call the men into the bunker!" He shouted over the wind.

He was just in time, before the first splash of light tore open the sky.

. . . . .

"Legolas!"

The cry came an instant before a snap of thunder jarred him awake. Legolas bolted upright, hitting Kristy with his arm on the way.

"Get up!"

"What is it?" Kristy flinched. Legolas stroked her hair in the dark as he whipped his head around, whispering an automatic apology.

"What is it?" he echoed.

Before Estel could even answer, Legolas knew precisely what was wrong. Rain battered the glass and the floor was trembling. He stumbled upright and grabbed the wall.

"Get onto the ground level." Aragorn's voice was harsh.

They were going to do just that. But it happened so fast, it came out of the storm from nowhere. They didn't make. Suddenly, another _crack_ ended in an ear-splitting scream and glass flew everywhere. The windows shattered.

"Get down!" Estel shouted over the roar, pushing Kristy under a table as Tauriel ducked, shielding her face. Wind tore through the building like a hurricane, trying to force Legolas against the wall. He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe.

There was something…

"Legolas, get back!"

Legolas clutched his head and dropped to the floor, panting on his knees. He wanted to, but his limbs wouldn't move. There was something pushing and pulling in his mind. He felt it and couldn't stop it. Glass gouged his hands as he fell and blood stained the carpet. His blood. And yet…

 _Legolas._

The word echoed in his mind, as clear and crystal as day. Even through the sound of screams and blaring sirens, he heard his name. Through the wind and a splash of icy rain, the whisper left him paralyzed in fear and the overwhelming rush of _fea_ against his own. It had been so long…he thought his spirit no longer existed! It was dormant, cold and lifeless for so long. But now it surged to life and a thousand sensations rushed through him. He felt alive again. Like himself. Like an elf of the Woodland Realm and a prince.

"I'm here…" He gasped out, " _Galadriel_!"

. . . . . . .

 **A/N: Yaah! Another update, yee ha! Hope you liked it. And if you did, hope you review! Hehe. :D Have a great rest of your day, all.**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: No apologies. Just ducking behind a bookshelf and offering this quick chapter up as penance for being so long! While I get the next ready as fast as I can.**

 **Dreamer: Wow…that's absolutely commendable. I'd have a hard time understanding a second language** _ **period**_ **, much less reading crappy fanfiction and getting something out of it. I guess it's a compliment for both of us, eh?**

 **REMdream: I know, I know! And I'm sorry. But believe it or not, it's almost as hard to write cliffhangers as it is to read them. Just can't help it, sometimes. It's almost impossible to start up writing again after one, though. It's like there's this expectation to fill now!**

 **Spriggan: Sorry :( But then again, it's only partially sorry. Because despite how hard it is to start up writing again after a cliff, it's awfully fun, too! xD**

 **Nice guys: Hehe... I liked writing Kristy and Legolas in an armchair too. What a fuzzy feeling I have.**

 **Elf of Mischief: My stupid pre-paid phone plan expired and I've only just been able to get a new one. *sniff* haven't even gotten to read your updates! So I'm at the libr+ary copying them to my laptop so I don't have to use up minutes. It feels like forever since I've even read any fanfiction! Well yours is a great place to start. I think I left Ara and Legolas shivering and broken on the plains of Rohan.**

 **CalistaLegacy: I end it there because…well, I'm a little bit disturbed. Cliff hangers for all their pain and suspense, are kind of addictive. x)**

 **Me and Not You 1001: Wow, what an awesome review!**

 _. . . . . . ._

 _Old people at weddings always poke me and say "you're next". So, I started doing the same thing at funerals._

 **Sorry! My sense of humor is twisted today... Here's another one.**

 _Communist until you get rich;_

 _Feminist until you get married;_

 _Atheist until the airplane starts falling – Hypocrite Diaries_

 **Okay I know, I did it again. How about this one:**

 _When you fall, I will be there to catch you._

 _\- With love, the floor._

 **:)**

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"Galadriel…" he whispered without realizing.

Legolas grimaced. Visions, images and things he'd never seen before, they confused him and broke into splits and flashes. They were tearing his chest open. Every cell in his body screamed. They whipped past his eyes and he saw years of passing streets, laughter and things like a shutting door, sheets and the same eyes. He knew those eyes. They were Kristy's. Quiet and…and happy. A child slept in his arms and Legolas almost lost his breath. So tiny, so very tiny, and human; the babe was human! He felt such a swell of inexplicable love for the little creature.

Then there was a white burning ceiling above him. Kristy was on her knees. _Why?_ Why did she weep? As if the world ended and there was no hope! She cried like her life had ended.

Legolas clutched his head and shouted out, willing them away. Nothing helped. He couldn't stop it. He wasn't strong enough. Until the same voice echoed in his ears…

"Child."

Legolas hissed through his teeth and peered up. He couldn't see. It was hazy and dark. It hurt. But then the colors shifted and white appeared. The white, it was…it was light. As if a piece of heaven materialized before his eyes and made the pain go away.

"Why…" he managed to gasp. "are you doing this?"

"Hush, child." She said softly. "I am here to help you."

Legolas took in short bursts of air until his head cleared and he flicked his eyes furtively around. He could feel the vicious wind of the storm on his face, somewhere in the back of his mind. But he couldn't see or hear it here. They were somewhere else in his head. All he saw was this…field. It was midnight blue and the reeds whispered in the wind, brushing his face.

Galadriel knelt before him, glowing azure and crystal in the starlight, looking at him with the deep eyes he remembered from Lorien. Her fingers brushed his face.

"You have suffered much, child." She whispered, searching his face as if she could read every thought, every memory, all the heartache and hurt he'd felt. Then her face softened. "So long have you been from home. Where have you lost yourself to, prince of Mirkwood?" she murmured softer yet. "You have changed." Her fingers stroked his cheek, gently. Legolas peered at her through the rain in his lashes, straining to see through a fog streaked window. "A child of the trees, free and green no longer. You have grown. Many things have you seen."

Legolas stared at her unblinking, unflinching.

She was so still, so quiet, and there was a light that sparkled in her eyes.

"How are you here? How can I see you?" Legolas managed instead of the bizarre words. They didn't make sense anyway. He was still the same elf he always was! Even trapped in this damn mortal body.

Galadriel blinked, just a flicker. And the look was gone. She dropped her hand from his face and looked at him more sternly. "There is a link between our worlds, prince of Mirkwood, at this very moment. And you must listen to me now, else you and your friends may be lost to us forever. And the fate of Arda will fall to dark hands."

"What did I just see? What did you show me?"

"The gift of foresight is mine." She explained. "I showed you your future, or what it might be."

"The future, what _could_ be the future? Does that mean you can change what I saw?" Legolas shuddered. The empty, cold feeling of loss still clung to him like ice and he couldn't shake it.

"To touch the mind of another takes but a wish." she grew still and more quiet. Her eyes darkened. "But 'twill take more than that to see you home, young one."

"What do I have to do?"

"You must return the way you came. The ring of power I here have will keep the link open long enough."

"How could you do this?"

"The strength of Lothlorien is not what it was. But this I can do. Have no doubt." She assured him. "Tell your friends. Estel will lead you. He will…give you the strength you need to complete this task."

"Strength." Legolas shook his head.

"Do not underestimate the difficulty you will find, when the time comes." The lady of light warned, as if scolding him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the love you have found, Prince of Mirkwood! But you must be strong. For your people. For Arda."

"I know my duty. I would _never_ let what I feel for Kristy hold me back." He spoke harsher than he meant. His spine straightened and Legolas felt a surge of anger at the expression on her ancient, white face. She mistrusted him! "I have not failed before. I will not now. How do you doubt me so?"

She stared.

And Legolas dropped his chin a little. The sky quivered and shook on the horizon. Where they stood it was still, like the eye of a storm. "I can leave her."

"Can you?"

"I will!"

"I have seen otherwise."

Legolas looked up.

"I have seen your futures," she said in accented Sindarin, "You choose Kristine, Legolas."

"Is that what you showed me?" he snapped. He remembered the passing years, Kristy, the child in his arms.

"It is. But what you do not know is that you will die, young prince. You are an elf, even in this world choked of living magic. You will not survive it."

"So will she." Legolas said. "I am not afraid to die. That is not the reason I go."

"And it is not the reason you will stay!" She said soft and harsh. Her voice was no louder and no higher, but he felt the power in her voice. And he couldn't fight. He just listened. "You will stay for love, but you will also die for it! Four seasons is what you have with her, prince of Mirkwood. Four seasons and she will be alone. _Without_ you. I have seen the choice you make, and you must not make it. When the time comes, you fail, Legolas. You fail. Your friends return home. They go without you. They fight for Arda. Now, knowing this…will you follow them now? Or will you hear what I have told you?"

"I…I would always fill my duty." He heard his voice crack. "I do love her, but…"

"The portal opens in two days' time." Galadriel said softly. "I will keep the link as safe for you as I might. Pray you make the right choice, young prince."

Legolas didn't know what to say. The visions he'd seen…they played and flickered in his head once more. He saw lightning and the brilliant light of an open portal. He saw Kristy's eyes peering up at him…asking him to stay, feeling her palm on his chest, heart beating in her hand.

"I choose her?" he asked almost without thinking. He took a lungful of air, but there wasn't quite enough to fill his chest. It felt like he was suffocating slowly. "I _stay_?"

"I have taken it into my own hands to change that." She said ever softly. "Legolas…you are a creature of magic. You suffocate in a world like this. A part of you dies every day that you stay! I have awoken that part, in order to visit you as I have."

Legolas tensed. "What do you mean?"

"You are dying, Legolas." She shook her head slowly. "More quickly now than ever. Your friends are not very much better. You must leave, and you must leave now."

"Kristy…what happens to her?" he whispered. "Will she be alright?"

Galadriel turned crystal blue eyes away. "I…cannot see her fate. Too tangled, too twined in emotions, in destinies not her own, possible choices. They are endless."

"But will she survive? Will she…be happy?" he swiped his face, but the water somewhere in the back of his mind still streamed in his eyes. He saw her clearly still, but he blinked and flinched in the wind.

"I cannot say. All I can give you is this, young prince." She said. "I have seen the choice you make, and what I give you has taken magic complicated and powerful."

Legolas shifted, "What do you mean?"

"We are elves. There is a bond between us. We use the touch of another's _fea_ as humans use words. It is our way."

Legolas tilted his head.

"I have sewn a thread between you, Legolas, in much the same way, so you will never lose her. Not completely. _Remember_ this when you make your choice! You will know her fate, even through distant space and the reaches of time. Through this bond you will feel her, Legolas. Let this be your comfort. In a sense, you may…watch over her. Always."

"How is it possible?" Legolas breathed.

"It is beyond your understanding. That the magic has worked in this way is a wonder even to me. I have tried before and failed. It is a gift, perhaps for what you have suffered in this world."

"Have you done this for _her_ as well? Will she know too that somewhere I live?"

"Kristine has no knowledge of what I have made between you. She is a child of man. She," Galadriel paused. "has no ability to touch your _fea_ in this way. Take comfort in what you have now."

"How is this comfort?" he spat bitterly. Gone was every ounce of determination, every bit of defensiveness. He let his feelings spill into his words and they felt raw, like an open wound. "That I may feel and not touch? Know that she lives, and know she lives without me? Forever? This is _comfort_?"

"Make your choice, prince of Mirkwood." She said in answer. "Time is short. Things are never as simple as they seem. You have many choices…choose wisely. The magic at work here has done more for you than you know. And this _should_ be comfort to you, young prince."

Legolas stared at her in utter disbelief. Even as he felt the vision shaking and shattering, he held onto the last vestiges of night and prairie grass as long as he could, cold starry skies, trying to make sense of her words.

But no matter how hard he tried, he could only drown in an overpowering sense of loss.

. . . . . . . . .

 **A/N: So sorry that this is so short! I just couldn't think of another way to break this up. This chapter is setting the next book in motion though, and so it's kind of a turning point. Thank you for understanding, and reading, and getting this far into the story without sending ninja killers after me just for writing it, and for…um…reviewing? :)) I'm so greedy.**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Hey people! Hope you're all having a good weekend. This one's a little shorter again, but they're coming out hard.**

 **StarlightGilgalad: Pretending to be Legolas? Oh that puts a picture in the head. I'm so glad you like the story so much.**

 **Little miss Bananna Head: Oh, don't worry. Legolas been sitting on it for more than a couple chapters now, too. He just can't stand the idea of putting Kristy into the middle of a warzone. Remember how at the beginning of the quest, they thought their measly little fellowship was the last hope for Arda?**

 **It would be like killing her himself. …And we haven't heard anything from Kristy on the matter yet. Yet. :))**

 **Nice guys: Yup. I can't stand rotten endings. I hated Romeo and Juliet. Glad you're liking this one…even through the slow times. Thnx for reviewing so often. It really helps.**

 **Dreamer: Humorous? Lol, their life troubles are funny, eh?**

 **Remdream: Oh, come on! He's gonna take her right into the middle of a war?** _ **She**_ **could do that, maybe. I think Legolas is going to fight tooth and nail though.**

 **Spriggan: Yeah, but you know how hard it's going to be for Legolas to accept that. Kristy following him into the middle of a warzone. It'll be another fight just there, and I don't think Legolas is going to give in.**

 **Snoopyontop: I'm glad you liked it (even thought it was short) Sorry this one is shorter, too! Things are pretty chaotic, tensions are high (which makes it harder to write). Earth is just a mess. xD**

 **WickedGreene13: Wow, what a perceptive review. I think you're right on basically all counts. The only reason Legolas can do it is he wants to go home so badly. He wants Kristy to be safe, not take her into a warzone. And Kristy doesn't want to force herself on anyone, or someone who doesn't love her. At this point, I don't think she's even seriously considered it.**

 **Me and Not You 1001: Ooh no, you can't die! You have to keep reading. And I** _ **am**_ **sorry for taking so long. These chapters have been hard to write recently, especially with work!**

 **Elf of Mischief: Ethereal…hehe. I like that word. xD**

 **Shophiecastle: Kristy thinks he does too, in a way. He really doesn't have much of a choice, though.**

 **CalistaLegaci: Haha, sound advice. He's just so** _ **positive**_ **it would kill her though. The war. Sauron taking over!**

 _. . ._

 _I wake up every day planning to be productive, and then a voice in my head says: "Haha good one" and we laugh and laugh and take a nap._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

 _. . ._

Roger leaned on a white doorframe, just outside a small hospital room. The lights were dim in the hall: reserve power after the storm. The fluorescents flickered and snapped every few minutes. Two Marines stood at his side, standing guard. He wasn't particularly worried though.

Sterling glanced inside again, at his 'prisoners.' One was unconscious. Kristy on the other hand, couldn't be forced out if he tried, not without injuring her. It wasn't worth it. The thing was in a coma. It looked like all this was for nothing, hunting him…supposedly the first of all these aliens. He was as good as dead now, most likely. She was still protective of him. She had some kind of bond with this creature. He could give her tonight for old times' sake. It was nearly morning.

Roger glanced inside one last time, before shaking his head, shutting the door and striding away.

Poor, foolish girl.

. . . . . . . . . . .

 _Beep…beep…beep..._ Dammit.

The noise hurt. Something hurt, anyway. Or maybe everything.

Things came to him slowly. The rasp of his own breathing, a bleeping monitor. He heard the murmur of voices outside, rattling wheels, wind whistling against glass. But more than that…the cool scent of familiar hair.

Legolas forced his eyes open a crack.

Fog, blur, and dark filled his vision. But then he glanced down. A sight matched the scent, butterscotch in the pale glow of a bedside monitor.

 _Hospital bed._ That's what this was. Low, protective rails fenced them in. Legolas blinked. Kristy. She was curled up against him, fingers on his chest, head tucked under his chin. The weight hurt him a little when he breathed, but he didn't complain. She was warm. She was always warm.

 _What happened?_

The field…Galadriel…the vision and everything she told him sank through his head very, very gradually. Legolas lifted his fingers, skimming them up Kristy's sleeve and around her fist. He almost smiled. So small…so tight. Her knuckles clenched white in his. Even asleep.

"Kristine…"

Yes, still asleep. Legolas tilted his head, somehow _feeling_ it more than seeing. Blurred, foggy feelings hovered at the edge of his consciousness. It was worry, quiet worry, and sleep.

Hm. _Strange..._

Legolas glanced around as he waited. He could see the head of a Marine outside the hospital door, through a tiny window.

Armed Marine, actually. Wonderful _._

"Kristine." He traced circles on her fist with the pads of his fingers. It took all the strength he had, that gentle caress.

It took awhile. Her brows scrunched together and the fringe of hair hiding her eyes shifted. And with a flickering blink, Kris inhaled a deep breath.

Her head lifted and she blinked.

"Why Kristine…" he whispered, straining to focus on her face and red, black-streaked eyes. "You look terrible."

At his faint, tired smile, she choked. "You're…you're awake."

 _Well, that was obvious._

"You're alright. You-" she gaped, breathing fast.

 _Oh no._

Kris' body tensed under his hands and she grabbed him in her fingers, like claws, grabbing him slowly, as if making sure he was real. She stared at him. He felt waves of distress from the creature. Yes, that powerful feeling was Kristine. He felt it and Legolas grimaced, unsure of how to respond to such a thing. This was much stronger than that of feeling another elf's _fea._

 _What had Galadriel done?_

"Are you alright?" he asked.

" _Me_?" she rasped, shattering his frown and grabbing him by the collar. "W-what the hell is wrong with you?" she gasped, and Legolas reached up, touching her face. She was shaking, beginning to hyperventilate. Tears streaked down her dirty face.

"Don't." he shook his head, which took effort. "Don't. Please. I have to talk to you…I-"

He didn't make it.

Kristy crushed her face in his neck and let out a gasping, whimpered sob. He didn't know what to do. For some reason, the instinct to slip his hands around her didn't come to mind. It didn't feel right. He glanced down, and only because he wanted to comfort her, he stroked her hair.

"Please, Kristine, do not carry on so." He sighed, feeling suddenly weary.

"What's wrong with you? You-you nearly died. You _did_ die! You were dead, and then you were breathing again, and-and…I-"

Legolas blinked. _He died?_ Well yes, he did feel different. Tired, yes but…better, more like himself. He felt more in control. His feelings were more schooled and-and he could sense things. Yes. Not just Kristy, but the small fly on the window, the men outside, a nurse walking past. And then he was smothered in warmth again. He felt different. The air smelled odd.

But despite all the foreignness of the room, Kristy was still Kristy. Though her scent was stronger. And now, instead of seeing her, so used to that now, he could _feel_ her as well. Her very presence. It was…it was soothing.

Strange.

"Where is Estel? And Tauriel?" He asked, letting her kiss his chest, his neck, bury her face against him, knot her hands in his hair. It wasn't particularly unpleasant. But it felt strange. He felt every brush of skin and he was hyperaware.

Or human senses were just…dull.

"Where are they? Are they safe?" Legolas insisted.

"Th-they're with the car. I don't know where, but he has my phone. He-he said he'd find us when we needed to! I couldn't leave you. Y-you were dying, I-"

"Tis alright." He whispered, deepening his caresses. He massaged the back of her neck as she clung to him. He felt it help. He felt the ripples of calm trying to soothe her panic. But then, that gave way to the rest of what she was feeling and…oh. Yes, that feeling.

 _Sweet Manwe._

That feeling, it was overpowering. She was terrified, yes, but she-she… Legolas slid his eyes in her direction, even as the side of her face came against his, panting, desperate. Her cheek was warm.

"You...you love me." He whispered without realizing it.

Kristy instantly drew back, staring at him. The tears froze in her eyes, and her mouth hung open.

"You're in _love_ with me. I…" he forgot to breathe and then had to take a quick burst of air. "Oh, I did not know." He spilled out. "I am sorry. I-"

Kristy just shook her head, letting her eyes narrow more and more. Confused.

"Kristine, there is something you should know." He said quickly. "Galadriel visited me, using her ring of power. She's done what she can to restore me, to what I was, so we may escape." Legolas explained. "I-I am changed…a little."

"What are you talking about?" she asked in a low voice.

Legolas didn't like that expression in her eyes. And he didn't like the feeling that replaced the last. This one was cold and guarded.

Maybe he could have been more tactful.

"There is something you should know, Kristine. About me. I-"

"You're dying." She said. Her expression melted. He saw emotion again. She stared at him. "I know. The doctors told me. Legolas, you mean she did this to you?"

"No, it would have happened eventually. A few years, I…"

"She _did_ this to you. Legolas," Kris shook her head violently. "They said your body is h-hyperactive. It's like you're trying to fly and you can't. Your head is using three _times_ as much of its capacity as its supposed to. Y-you're dying, and it's getting worse, and she _did_ it to you. It's all her fault."

"She did it to save us." He insisted, capturing her neck so she couldn't pull away. "Kristine, we have to leave. Estel, Tauriel, I? We must leave now, before it's too late. The storms, Kristine, they are dissipating. They are unstable. Only with the power of Galadriel's ring will we make it through, _if_ then. But we have no choice. It is try, or die."

Kristy shook her head, grimacing and trying to keep her eyes clear. "Oh, Legolas…"

"Try to understand, little one," he murmured softly. "It is time to go. Two days is what we have. The cabin, in the woods where I first came. Where all of us came. It is the link, the tear. If fate or just a cruel twist of chance brought us here, we must make it right again. Else all of Arda may fall."

"How do you know?" she kneaded his shirt without realizing. "I don't care what the damn book says. Someone else can kill the r-ring thing and the demon. Why you? Why now?"

"We must now." He whispered. "Kristine…"

She dropped her head and covered her face. It was too late to fall apart. It already happened. The instant she looked up and all that worry, all that fear…for nothing. When he was awake and looking at her; he wasn't dead! He was alive and breathing…

And he was leaving! Kristy couldn't put herself together. Not yet. She didn't cry, but she held on, panting, trying to. One night, one terrible, never-ending night and everything was wrong. She was going to lose everything. There was nothing to stop it.

"I can't lose you." she whispered into her hands. The night was so dark, so cold and lonely. "not again, Legs…"

He dropped his head and caressed her cheek with his. The room was mostly dark, a couple hours before dawn. Once her face was safely in his neck again, the blankets stopped him from pulling her closer. No matter.

"Come here." He whispered and forced himself out of the sterile pillows. His fingers found her dirty jeans and pulled her underneath. There was nothing left to do, for a few brief moments, then stare down at her as she hugged him.

"How did you get in here?" he dared ask, glancing out the window to where, thirty stories below, lights struggled to flash. The hospital clothes were thin and under the warm sheets, all he could feel was Kristy's breathing, her ribs panting up and down mutely as he rubbed her.

So emotional.

"The hospital is full of p-people hurt in the storm." She mumbled.

"And Sterling let you in?" he pressed.

"No." she shrugged a little, still breathing down his chest. Something about the way her feelings shifted, she was guilty now. Legolas didn't press it.

"You do understand, don't you, little one." Legolas said softly, after he gave her a few minutes of quiet. He rested his head back in the pillows, stroking the nape of her neck with his thumb.

No answer.

"This must happen, Kristine. There is no other way."

Still nothing. Her body tensed.

"Kristine…"

"- _Why_ are you calling me that?"

Legolas stopped. "What?"

She didn't move, fingers curled around his neck. Her voice shook. "Why do you keep calling me that?" she asked. "Kristine?"

He didn't understand. "I, it is your name."

"You know I don't like it, Legolas." She was breathing faster again. She was upset.

Legolas felt panic rise.

And then, he understood. He felt it through the link he shared now. She was feeling abandoned and cold. Yes. Somehow Kristy knew what he was feeling. Need, indifference, just a part of him…the part that was a warrior and wanted to go home. The part of him that had no room for a precious thing to hold. He was leaving her behind. And she didn't want that.

Kristy was love: sweet, precious, impulsive. She was confidant when he needed someone to talk to and didn't know it. She was power to build or break him down. She was lover. Kristine on the other hand, was friend, a friend who helped him when he needed it, a friend he had to let go, a girl he didn't want to hurt.

…He didn't want to think about Kristy. And he certainly didn't want to talk to her.

"Kristine," he said very, very softly, "There's no time for this now. We must leave this place and find a way to escape."

Kristy narrowed her eyes at him. "Escape. That's right, isn't it?"

"Krist-"

"If she's so goddamn powerful, why can't she help you? I mean _really_ help you? Not just make everything worse!"

"She hashelped me."

Kristy wasn't leaning up against him anymore. The white tracks on her dusty face were dry. She was sitting up now and glaring. "Oh really? How? You think you're going to be happy back there now? After everything you've done? _Seen_? Just-just… _go_ back to the way things were?"

"Things are never as they were." He snapped, sitting up too. "I know that. That doesn't mean I can run from my destiny, either."

"That's exactly what you're doing! You're running. You think all this has-has happened by _accident_? That I found you? That we found Estel and Tauriel?"

"Galadriel sent us to them." Legolas said, even as he reached to the bedside and retrieved his shirt. It was a clean one; Kristy must have brought it. "Just as she sends us now. What else do you want me to do _,_ Kristine?"

"I want you to have a choice." She spat. "She had no right to do this. If she has that kind of power, than she has the power to-to _fix_ you, too. It isn't fair!" Kristy pushed off the bed and started to pace.

"There's no point discussing it." He said.

Legolas tugged the strings behind his neck loose, yanking the hospital clothes down, before pulling the shirt over his head. Legolas raked his hands through his hair and slid out from between the sheets.

"Oh, right. That's the answer. Follow blind, run! Run home."

Legolas clamped his mouth shut hard, buckling his pants and pulling on boots.

She didn't understand.

"Well, you can't do it." Kris spun around and folded her arms. "I won't let you."

"It's not your choice to make." He said quietly.

"Fine! But I'm not helping you make it."

"Kristine-" he snapped, feeling a flare of anger.

She stepped in front of the door, narrowing her eyes fiercely. "She's forcing you and it isn't fair.You've fought everything else since coming here. Fight her! Not me."

"Don't you understand?" he spat, stepping forward to stare down in to her face. "No one is forcing me. I want to go home. I _want…_ " he paused. "…to go home."

Kristy stared at him, breathing fast. She didn't say anything.

"It's what I wanted ever since coming to this God-forsaken place!" He shook his head. And because she was upset, he knew she wouldn't listen to anything else. Steeling himself, curling his fingers into fists, he asked. "Nothing's changed. What do you think could _possibly_ make me want to live in this hell any longer?"

She looked at him. Her mouth moved, just a flinch…as if to say something. But nothing came out. Kristy stared furiously at the floor, shoulders shaking, before lifting her chin.

He thought she was going to step aside. He thought she was going to take his message and accept it.

But she didn't.

"Me." She said quieter. Kristy stared at him head-on and he felt her eyes burning into his. "I thought I changed that. I thought you might…have actually…thought _twice…_ about leaving me here." Kristy stepped forward, glancing over his face, and she reached up.

Legolas flinched. Her fingers brushed his chin; her eyes dropped to his lips. He felt her eyes soften; he felt the anger melt to the same…fathomless feeling. It was so alive and bright, the sensation burning fiercely into his own. He knew it was hers, what she felt for him. And it left him breathless.

"I thought…" she whispered, placing her fingers lightly on his cheek, staring at his stony mouth as if trying to decipher an impossible, angering puzzle. "I thought _I_ changed that."

Legolas couldn't bring himself to answer... He just stared down into the glimpse of her face, as if he'd never seen it before. A part of him, a part that felt foreign and distant, like another man, was going to slip his fingers around her waist and tug her forward. That man was going to run his hands through her hair, because the feeling beginning to burn and swell inside him was…was insatiable.

But he wasn't that man anymore. He knew who he was, and what he wanted to be again. He was Legolas, Prince of Greenwood, and an elf.

"I thought so, too." He said softly. "Once."

Kristy didn't flinch. She didn't even blink.

"I cannot stay." He said softer yet. Carefully, gently, he brushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes. She just stared at his neck…but he tilted her chin back with a finger. "I cannot be what you need, Kristine: a safe place, a _man_. I am an elf. And I do not love you."

"Really?" she asked too quiet. Kristy looked up and she pushed her hands up from his chest and slid them behind his neck. She clawed his hair gently in fistfuls. "You really think that?"

Nothing.

"If you don't…love me," she said more fiercely. "Then why are you still here? Because you need my help? No."

"What are you talking about?"

"Why do you call _my_ name when you're dying?" she hissed. "Dying _?_ Why wasn't it Tauriel?"

 _What?_ He called her name?

Legolas shook his head, feeling panic and frustration rise. He pushed her away from his chest, stepping away. "I don't have time for this."

"Why do you bother?" she asked, staring at the place he was. Her hands dropped uselessly to her sides. "Why don't you just leave? Why don't you steal a car? You can drive." Kristy spun around. "Why do you care enough to make me understand a lie? If you don't love me?"

"It's not a lie." He spat. "You're deluding yourself. You're just a little girl with little girl fantasies. And I'm _bothering_ making you understand because…because you helped me when I needed it. I want you to help me again."

"That's right! And what did I get for it? Nothing but pain and trouble."

"Then you shouldn't mind dispelling with that trouble. Now should you?"

"You know what?" she bit back. "You're right. I will help. I'll help get _rid_ of you."

"Fine."

"Fine!"

Kristy shoved past him in an angry whirl and yanked the door open. And as she did, she grabbed a glass vase from the tableside. Legolas was confused. He almost stopped her, but there wasn't time.

"Hey! You-" the guard outside.

Before the words were out of his mouth, glass shattered over the hospital floor and a nurse screamed. The man crumpled to the floor.

Legolas stared in shock.

"What are you waiting for?" Kristy pointed to the elevator. "You're so anxious to leave. Come on!"

Legolas shook his head. Damn female.

"Roger is bound to have more guards downstairs."

Kristy stalked toward the waiting elevator. "Which is why we take the fire escape."

. . . . . . . . . . .

 **A/N: Thnx for reading, all! And for being patient through these long update gaps, too. I so appreciate your reviews. :)) And all you lurker readers! How about a short one, eh?**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Hi hello! I'm back. I know how negligent I've been and I'm sorry. I just haven't been able to write these last couple months. I've changed jobs, gained and lost a boyfriend, basically taking whatever life has to throw at me. Thank you though for all your support, and your reviews, favs and follows.**

 **They make me feel loved. x))**

 **. . .**

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"Be careful."

Legolas jumped to the next flight and slid down the rails to the next rusty platform. Rain splattered off his skin, buffeting his hair. It was wet and smelled of the city as mist soaked the tarvy, into the brick, even the metal as it _ping_ pinged on the rails.

"Be careful yourself." They were almost to the bottom. Kristy scrambled down the steps now, round and round, lower and lower. She threw her head back to shoot a glare at him. "And you're the one dying! Remember that."

"If I were run through, losing life blood and _delirious_ in fever," he bit back, "I would stillbe more dexterous than you in the rain. Watch your step, I say."

Kristy muttered curses. Colorful ones.

 _She thought he was patronizing her._ Legolas shook his head. Worse, she thought he was wrong! Kristine just didn't see her own weakness, no matter how glaringly obvious it was. He watched her feet slip and her hands grab blindly in the dark.

He chose to ignore it.

They had to find a phone, contact Estel and Tauriel: rendezvous. No matter what, they had to be back at the cabin in time for the next portal's opening. Kris walked alongside him down the wet, windy street. Rain gusted through her hair and whipped over her face. She refused to flinch.

Half the buildings here were collapsed, crumbling or windows shattered across the pavement.

"Any idea as to where we find a telephone?"

It was dark and she didn't bother glancing at his expression. "The telephone lines are down. We need wireless. And your soldier friend took the one you gave me."

 _Dammit._

It was so cold. And this storm was the worst of all. She'd never seen buildings so broken and black. Even in the rain, she could see spits of fire smoking from the peaks. She splashed down the sidewalk as fast as possible. Her legs were shorter than Legolas'.

And she stopped.

They stood sheltered behind a truck, half-crunched and on its side. Rain bounced off the hub caps and shattered off the broken windshield. Legolas glanced at her frown, confused.

Nothing.

..And so he looked around.

"Wireless." She muttered.

And realization dawned. Inside the cab, clutched in the death grip of an unfortunate trucker bleeped a light.

Legolas' face darkened. "We are not robbing the dead."

Kristy tilted her head at him. "Yeah? Well we'll be just as dead if we don't get out of here soon."

"Find us another phone."

"Youfind another!" she spat viciously, so fierce Legolas blinked.

Why was she so angry? Yes, he was leaving her behind. He told her he had no feelings for her. Yes they fought. But he wasn't angry, _furious_ like this, like her. Why?

Before he could think or respond, Kristy pushed past him and clambered onto the hood. The driver's side window, face to the windy sky, was shattered. And braced precariously on the curb, tipped on its side, the truck rocked and shuddered under her weight.

Kristy clutched the hood and broken fender like a lifeline.

"Be careful."

"You're not helping!" She growled.

…Once the movement subsided, she started crawling upward, toward the broken window. Legolas walked beside, keeping pace with her. His fingers twitched, expecting the girl to fall any instant. He saw it. He wanted her to. He would catch her and they could leave this poor dead man in peace.

But she didn't.

The driver was belted into his seat, so he hung partially suspended over the street, hidden behind razor glass. The arm was twisted behind his back.

Kristy lay overtop the door, and reached down so her fingers groped through the broken window. But Legolas could see her arm was too short.

"God, I can't reach the damn thing!"

"Watch your mouth." He muttered.

Kristy ignored him. She craned her neck up to the sky instead and fumbled desperately, just inches from the man's hand. Most of the window was gone, and she was practically falling in.

"I can't get it! I have to climb down."

Legolas flinched. "Why do you make everything so difficult, Kristine?"

"You've got any better ideas, bright boy?"

"Such as _asking_ any sane citizen to borrow their phone a moment?" he bit back. "Yes."

"Sane citizen." Kristy laughed harshly, and she pointed at a woman scrambling down the stairs to an office building nearby. Her screams bounced off the buildings and hurt his ears. "Good luck with that."

And before he knew it, she was climbing down, head-first. Legolas narrowed his eyes. Again, his hands twitched. Her fingers were bleeding from the glass and suddenly, she slipped and fell the rest of the way, tumbling into the passenger seat.

"Kristine!" He pressed his hands to the windshield and struggled to peer inside. It was so dark. Even his sharp eyes could barely see through the rain streaked, tinted visor.

"I'm fine." Came a muffled grunt.

"Can you reach it?"

No answer.

"…Kristine?"

A few moments passed. All he could hear was the rolling thunder, distant sirens and the occasional echo of shouts in the night. And suddenly he was worried again. It was panic: fear that quickly turned to fierce anger.

"Kristine, for Eru's sake _answer_ me!"

And then, he heard her voice again. There was something wrong with it. It was strained and in pain, but it was there. "I've got it." She mumbled. With that, the phone in her fingers lighted the cab and he could see her.

"Are you alright?" he grimaced.

She nodded mutely, a burned, sour expression still covering her face. "Fine."

"Can you climb back up?"

She craned her neck back. It was hot and still bitterly cold inside the car. The dead trucker's face was just inches away and it made her sick. She swallowed the bile in her throat. It burned down into her belly and twisted in a knot.

"I," she gnawed the inside of her bleeding lip. She'd have to climb back using the driver as leverage: a dead man. A poor dead man that she'd just stolen from. "I…-"

"Move back." Legolas snapped. "And cover your face."

"What are you going to do? You can't break that! Are you crazy?"

Legolas jolted and Kristy jumped, pulling her knees up and covering her head with her arms. She was going to protest. She was already fumbling for the right words, "That's shatter-proof glass and double-"

And suddenly, a sharp _crack_ snapped her mouth shut. A second hit and she felt cool pieces bounce and land in her hair, drop down her legs, land on the inside of the door. Rain streamed through the gap and she peered up, shaking. Her hands trembled in their fists. It didn't show because she hid them.

He'd broken the window.

"H-how did you do that?" she blurted.

Legolas tilted his head, before reaching to pull her out of the cab. "I am an elf."

 _It was already cracked._ It was weak and-and… And the thoughts didn't console her any. Legolas _was_ different. She knew it. There was no denying it. He was sharper, more focused, stronger. He was more.

"Call Estel." He said.

And she obeyed.

. . . . . . .

Kristy was shocked when Tauriel hugged her. They were parked in a wet dark alley. Sunrise wasn't for another hour yet. But then, maybe the human girl looked as wet, injured, and miserable as she felt. Still she was angry: furious even. And it didn't deter her.

"Thank Manwe you are safe." Estel murmured softly.

" _Time is short._ " Legolas said even quieter in Sindarin. " _We must depart_."

" _Can she drive_?" Aragorn asked, nodding to where Kristy leaned on the car. She held herself in her arms, shaking and glaring at the pavement.

" _She must. I know not the streets_." Legolas nodded to the distant north, a black blur of skyscrapers and clouds. " _When we're out of the city, I will find the way_. _Ask her._ "

Aragorn pulled the door open. "Kristine?"

She looked sideways at him, and then at the captain. Drizzle poured from the gutters and landed in the street. They were sheltered under a steel overhang. Her eyes didn't even linger on Legolas though, as if he wasn't there.

Without a word, she shoved off the car and climbed into the driver's seat.

"Kristine," Aragorn muttered once the doors slammed shut. He sat in the back with the elf prince, "..what did you do to her?"

" _I_?" he protested. They used Sindarin, but he still dropped his voice. "Idid nothing. She wounded _herself_. Sheclimbed…no, fell through a broken window to get hold of a telephone. I warned her." He huffed a short breath of cold air. "But of course she didn't listen. Stubborn, irrational, nonsensical-"

Estel blinked.

Legolas shifted uncomfortably. _Damn that Dunedain._ His gray eyes were like cool daggers. "What."

"You fought." Aragorn said bluntly.

"So?"

The streets rushed past in the dark and he felt his blood stir with the speed. "What happened?"

Legolas didn't answer.

"Did you tell her that she cannot come with you?"

Legolas clamped his mouth shut tighter.

"You did."

"No!" he protested. _Why_ could this damnable Dunedain still make him shift in his seat like this?

"What do you mean?"

"I…I told her there was no reason."

"What?"

"I told her how I felt." He explained. "That I have no feelings for her, beyond that of friendship. A friendship we must end."

Aragorn snorted in an un-ranger like way. "And she believed you?"

"No."

"You _expected_ her to?"

Legolas narrowed his eyes fiercely. "I told you I don't wish to speak of it. We've been over this."

Aragorn was tempted to push his friend. But he chose not to.

. . .

Kris felt like she was in a muffled, hazy world of instinct as she drove. She heard their voices in the back seat once in awhile, a small comment here and there, but she couldn't understand the words. She was cold and wet; the heater didn't help. It just fogged the windows.

Half way through the night though, the rain stopped. The sun rose on the horizon like a spinning gold coin, shrouded in plumes of white-pink haze. Miles passed until they blurred into one indistinguishable mass of fields, twisting country roads, flinching in the light as it passed along the windows. It felt good though, after the long black night… as if it slowly burned away suffocating cobwebs in her head.

So when noon passed into early eve and Kristy felt a little more focused, she crunched through dry brown grass and a dusting of snow, to collapse next to Estel. They were parked along a deserted roadside, overlooking a distant pasture, cattle milling about behind the fence.

"How do you like it?" she grunted, nodding to the sandwich he fingered in his hands.

No answer. His eyes just drifted in her direction, only to focus completely on her face. She was so young, the girl. Painfully. She was little more than a child. Yet right here, right now, her eyes looked old and weary.

"It is tolerable." He said with a wry smile so tiny, it almost wasn't there.

She just looked at him, blank, before shaking her head and dropping her chin.

"Are you alright?"

Nothing. Not that he expected an answer.

And so he said softly. "There is strength in you, young one. You just need find it."

"I don't feel strong." She mumbled.

Aragorn's mouth twitched. Such a typical answer.

And so he hesitated a moment, before placing a hand on her lowered head. Kristy didn't say anything, but the simple gesture was strangely calming. Cold wind gusted strands of hair gently across her face and she let it, staring at the ground. Faint light sparkled off the snowflakes on her boots. She sighed softly, letting herself relax and…

And suddenly, hers weren't the only ones.

Kristy jumped and snapped her head up. The comforted feeling vanished instantly. Legolas stood there. His eyes weren't angry, but they were sharp like steel.

"The sun wanes." He said pointedly. "Let us not linger."

And without a glance in her direction, he walked to the car pulled off the road and climbed inside.

Aragorn looked her way, knees parted and his hands limp between his legs.

Kristy yanked her gaze from Legolas' back long enough to stare at him. "That has nothing to do with me." She said, suddenly feeling tired.

"Of course." He murmured even quieter. But the expression on his face said otherwise.

And so they drove on. After all, night was safer anyway, even if patrols weren't likely out here. Plus, it meant no one could see her face as she drove.

 **. . . .**

 **Thank you for reading! I felt like writing this again, finally, so I hope it came across alright. And I know it's been a long time in coming. But I won't abandon it. Again, thank you for your reviews and I love you!**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Hello everyone! I'm so sorry for being gone so long! In case you didn't notice, I also just added two new chapters taking place in the time of Legolas' stay here: they'll show up as chapters 9 and 11. So it's those two, plus this one that are new. I've also heavily revised the entire story, touched up places and altered off spots. I'm so glad to be back! Thanks for sticking with me :)) I love you all. So**

 **. . . .**

 **Never steal, the government hates competition. -Unknown**

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That night the stars shone crystal clear, bright and silver like lanterns in the heavens. It took twice as long to get up into these woods as last time. Back roads twisted and turned all over the countryside.

Now the group camped, pulled well off the road and a mile or so from the cabin. Estel and Tauriel came into the clearing they found, breaking through the tree-line. Kristy didn't look up; Legolas arrived just a minute ago. They were scouting the area for soldiers. They couldn't start a fire until it was safe.

And so, Kristy was freezing.

"Will you just go sit in the car?" Legolas asked for the third time. She was huddled in the sheltering roots of a tree, wrapped in a blanket, "where it's warm?"

Kristy made a face.

 _He thought she was a pathetic little girl_. Well she wasn't. And if _he_ could take the cold, so could she. He could mind his own business.

"Keep the flames low." Tauriel advised. "I'll take first watch."

Fire! And Kris had an idea.

"Lemme do it." She spoke up.

Legolas glanced sideways. He was about to go gather branches for the fire. It was dark out, but the moon reflected off the snow. Every branch glowed faintly in the blackness, and looming shadows made the trees.

"You?"

"I can make a fire." She said, scrambling to her feet with blanket in tow. "My mom was a girl scout and she taught me. I can get the wood and everything."

Aragorn's brow twitched.

"Well I can." She insisted. After all, Kristy was self-reliant. And tough. She could survive as well as these buggers in the wild, if she had to.

Estel apparently relented, because a moment later, he sighed simply. "Go with her."

Legolas blinked.

"What?" She protested. "I'm not totally inept, you know!"

"Me." he echoed. It wasn't a question.

Estel just gave a look. He waited until Kristy didn't see, but the message was obvious to Legolas. It said something like 'Now is your chance to make amends with her, idiot elf!'

And yet, Legolas didn't particularly _want_ to make amends. He had Kristy right where he wanted her.

The woman hated him.

"Oh very well." He muttered.

Kristy stared at the elf an instant, before shaking her head and stalking off into the woods. "Fine."

Her boots crunched over the frozen earth. It was rough and covered in black leaves. She kept slipping and stumbling, turning her ankle on stones and snow-dusted underbrush. And the more frustrated she got, the worse it became. The best part was she could hear the faint whisper of Legolas' feet on the forest earth, stepping lightly and silently behind her.

She clambered over a fallen log, cutting her palm in the process. Ice clung to the dead lichen and it was slippery. When she finally looked back up, she discovered he was walking along atop, one boot in front of the other.

 _Godammit._

"Don't you ever just trip?"

No answer.

"I hate you." She growled. Dumb elf.

"I know that." He said, so quiet and close she stopped where she stood in the snow.

Kristy looked up. The air had become so cold, it curled her breath and blew away in vapors as she spoke. "Then why don't you leave me alone?"

Legolas leapt from the log and landed silently in front of her. Kristy had to shuffle back so she wasn't tempted to lean into the warmth of his body. It was _tangible._ And it would have been inviting if it wasn't so repulsive.

"So you may trip and break your body? Suffer hypothermia? Die from exposure?" he lifted his chin. "I think not."

"So what?"

"I-" Legolas stopped, lips parted. He was about to answer, something snappish and curt, but decided not to. He rethought them. _Because I will not see you hurt, no matter how angry we are?_ No, they were too kind. They might encourage her!

"I think you don't need an answer to that."

Kristy narrowed her eyes at him. They gleamed in the dark, even as she shivered. It was so…so Kristy like. Kitten fury.

"Oh right." She finally rolled her eyes, before spinning around and walking on. "Because you 'care' about me. I forgot."

Legolas didn't bother replying. He just waited a minute, before shaking his head and following after her. He decided it was time for a topic change. "So, do you even know what you're looking for?"

"Sticks."

"Obviously."

"Dry ones." She clarified. And with that, she yanked a branch down from the boughs overhead.

"Alright," he sighed. "'Tis apparent that you don't actually know what you are doing."

She ignored him.

"Choose that one." He said, pointing. "The wood of the Hickory is a much warmer burn. Yours will sputter and die."

Kris might have been tempted to ignore him. The dumb elf knew everything. But she couldn't. She liked the sound of that: warm. It made her hesitate.

Legolas couldn't resist. His mouth twitched into a slight, crooked grin. "And you…wouldn't be at all cold out here, would you Kristy?"

Kristy looked at her stick. "Oh shut up." She mumbled.

"Well it would have been warmer in the car." He said, taking the branches from her as she picked them off the ground. "I told you. You could run the heater."

"I don't want to use up gas."

Legolas let her cram sticks, brush, and broken pieces of log into her arms. He glanced down. "I suppose. But I feel like pride is a more determining factor than that."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Legolas let it go.

. . . .

"Little harder."

Kris frowned. She was going to build this fire if it killed her.

"…Not that hard."

Flint and steel was so barbaric! It just didn't cooperate. "This works a whole lot better with starter fluid." She growled under her breath.

"But we have none." He said, close to her ear. "Therefore we make do with what we have."

"Legolas is right." Aragorn stepped into the clearing, settling back against a frosty log. He propped his boots up where the would-be fire would burn. "To survive in the wild, use all of nature's gifts. Look for the small things. Pay attention."

Kristy glanced up, before dropping her head with a dark thought. _Not that I'll need that advice._ She wouldn't be surviving in the wild anytime soon, not if Legolas had something to say about it.

As if echoing her thoughts, Legolas spoke up. "Though in your case, I'd recommend just…finding civilization again."

Kristy struck flint on steel a fifth time. "Why?"

Nothing.

"Because you don't think I'd _make_ it?" she muttered blackly.

Aragorn's mouth twitched. Nothing else moved. Not until he slowly slipped his pipe from a coat pocket and slid it between his teeth.

"I don't think now is the time to discuss it." He said very, very softly.

And so it wasn't.

It ended that Tauriel would keep watch until midnight, when the moon was high and bright. Then Aragorn took her place. It was several hours later that Legolas even thought about talking to Kristy. He wasn't sure why. It didn't matter what she thought of him. He was an elf prince, a warrior, and not only that but he had a duty to protect her.

And so he wasn't sure why he crouched down a few hours later, behind the blanketed bundle. Tauriel lay in a heavy doze across the clearing, and warm firelight threw tiny shadows across the black trunks.

"Kristine." He murmured softly. Legolas knew she wasn't asleep. He could feel it across their bond. Maybe he came to her because her upset emotions were keeping him awake. _Damn this link._

Kristy didn't answer. She just cracked her eyes open, staring at the blurry ground. She pillowed her head with an arm, curled in the fetal position. Legolas couldn't see her face.

"Would you like to talk?"

She wasn't warm, but not so bitterly cold either. The dim flame burned fierce heat and it lapped at her face. She was angry over their conversation in the hospital. She was confused and wounded. But yes…she did want it. Just a little part of her.

"Kristine…?"

"Go away." She mumbled softly. _Dammit._ Why did she say that!

No matter. He'd try again.

"Don't be a child."

Now was the should relent. This was silly.

But for some reason, she stayed silent.

Legolas was quiet a moment. As if he were thinking. Or stewing: she couldn't decide. Either way, a minute later, Kristy felt a second layer drape over her body and it was warm. Very. It took her a second to realize it was his cloak.

"You can't bribe me." She said in a tiny whisper. But she knew it was a lie. Bribery was actually very effective sometimes.

"…How about if I just let you speak?" he tried. He made no promise to do the same. At least now he could see if she'd explain the turbulent, mixed feelings on her side of their newfound link.

No answer.

"Speak freely. Unburden yourself. I swear I will listen."

And that was that. She couldn't pass it up. Kristy shuffled around onto her back and peered up at him. Legolas sat cross-legged, hands draped between his knees. "Alright." She whispered. "Legolas, you're an ass."

Legolas' face turned to ice.

"And every time you call me a child, I want to slap your face." She said secondly. "That's what I've got to say."

One of Legolas' brows twitched. "Anything else?"

Kristy thought. "Yes, I-" she broke off, biting her tongue.

Legolas tilted his head.

"I don't like you." She whispered very, very softly.

"Really."

Somewhere, a winter bird chirped quietly in the night. Nothing moved; only the branches fluttered in the breeze. But in the roots of the tree, the air was still and cool.

"And I don't like us, either." She snapped fiercely quiet.

"Some things must be."

Kristy was quiet for awhile, fidgeting with his cloak. Somehow, it seemed like the anger on her end faded a little. Legolas lowered the barriers around his mind and tentatively reached out, brushing her consciousness with his. He could do the same with other elves, to a certain degree. And yet this was different. He was assaulted by a whole barrage of confused, mixed up and…and hurting, feelings.

"Kristy-"

"I know." She mumbled. "You don't have to tell me again. You think I'm an incapable child. You however, are a _prince_. You don't trust me. You think I'd die out there where you live. Y-you-" Kris broke off. She was just too tired. "you know what? Whatever."

 _Whatever?_ What a damnable word.

"Kristine, I want this to be easy."

She didn't say anything. So he continued.

"I wanted to spare you this pain." He whispered softer yet. "I swear I did."

"Well congratulations." She muttered. "You failed."

A few minutes passed, in which Legolas couldn't bring himself to answer.

"But you know what?" she whispered, sitting up against a trunk. "You're probably right. You're always saying how weak I am, how incapable I am. I wouldn't survive in your world. I'm a coward. You're right." she glowered fiercely at him. "Well you're right. And I lost my chance at becoming what I wanted to be because of it."

Legolas narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"I told you I started police work." Kris said. She'd wanted to tell him for days, weeks. But she didn't want him to look at her differently. She didn't care now. "I wanted it to be a career. I did _everything_. I worked, learned, trained. I could out shoot anyone in my class, made prime grades. I was fresh out of the academy and ready to hit the streets. I was so eager, I was ready to take on the world."

Her voice was too detached for this conversation. Too cold. Legolas stayed silent.

"I'd been on the job a month. I had a partner. His name was Liam. A call came in, a gas station panic button. They were being robbed." Her eyes were icy and collected, but her heart was starting to pound. She hadn't spoken of this in years. In the dark of the forest, her head spun back to the dark of the alley. "We apprehended them as they were coming out." she said quieter. They had black ski masks on; like monsters in the dark. She remembered her frantic pulse beating in her ears. It was the first time she'd faced guns outside of training.

"They ran. We chased them down an alley. My partner was going in and he...he told me to cover him. But they saw him. They w-were scared I guess." her voice cracked and she hissed softer. "When one came up with a rifle, I was already on him. I sh-should've shot him right there. I _should've._ But I froze and Liam..."

Legolas leaned closer when she didn't say anything. "Kristine...?"

She locked eyes with him. Legolas almost shuddered at the bitter, steely anger in her eyes. "He died."

The elf stilled, leaning on his knees, waiting for something to break the quiet. Anything.

"Do you know what it's like to tell a child their father isn't coming home?" she muttered fiercely. "His wife?" she shook her head. "They said it wasn't my fault. 'He could've been surrendering', they said. Bullshit! I left."

"What happened to the thieves?"

Kristy tilted an eyebrow at him. "Why do you care?"

"What happened to them?"

"I shot them."

"All of them?"

Her hard stare said enough. "One in the leg, the other in an arm." she said anyway. "And the third...in the head."

He had no doubt the third was the one with the rifle. "Kristine-"

"It should've been me!" she said. "He didn't deserve to die. It... it..."

"It happened as it did for a reason." he said firmly. "You cannot hold yourself accountable. You call that cowardice? You are one of the bravest people I've ever known; you've risked your life and happiness for complete strangers."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't give me those pathetic platitudes of comfort. Do I look like an idiot?" she shook her head.

"Kristine, you cannot simply give up." To think she gave up her dream for such a tragedy? It made Legolas grab her by the shoulders so hard her teeth clicked. "You must follow your heart. Whatever you might face, you will overcome it. I know that. Never let fear guide you!"

She stared at him from the corner of her eyes. He could almost see the gears turning in her head. "What I want to know..." she said slowly. "...is if Galadriel can reach this world, what's stopping others?" she asked.

Legolas barely had time to process this before she sat up straighter.

"You're so worried about your world, what about mine? What's stopping the evil that's taking over yours to come to _mine_ when it's finished?"

Kristy threw a finger in his face. " _What_ makes your world more worth fighting for than mine?"

Legolas blinked. "Kristine, what are you trying to say?"

She folded her arms, before saying very quietly and very resolutely. "Just that you've convinced me. You're right, I'm capable of more than this. I'm saying I'm going to Middle Earth with you."

 _Sweet Manwe._

"Kristine... you-you cannot!" he gasped.

Kris flicked the blanket over her legs, laid down and turned her back to him. "Goodnight Legolas."

. . . . .

AGAIN: chapters 9 and 11 are new

 **A/N: Thank you everyone for reading! There will be one more chapter until the end of book one! I hope to get it up soon. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. I love hearing it:)**


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